Two Police Officers Fired after Ignoring Robbery to Play Pokemon Go

Two Police Officers Fired after Ignoring Robbery to Play Pokemon Go

  • Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, two US police officers, ignored a robbery in progress to play Pokemon Go
  • The Los Angeles Police Department cops claimed they had not heard the radio call as they sat in their patrol car near the robbery incident
  • Footage from an in-car camera indicated they heard the call but backed away to play the game, leading to their dismissal

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Two police officers from the US were fired after ignoring a robbery in progress to play a mobile phone game.

Two cops fired for playing Pokemon Go
Two police officers who ignored a robbery to play Pokemon Go lost their jobs. Photos: SOPA Images.
Source: Getty Images

Pokemon Go craze

The two, Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, who worked for the Los Angeles Police Department, refused to respond to the call to play Pokemon Go.

Recently released court documents indicated that the two lost their appeal on multiple counts of misconduct.

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A video system inside their patrol car captured the two busy on their phones during the robbery incident.

"They wilfully abdicating their duty to assist a commanding officer's response to a robbery in progress and playing a Pokemon mobile phone game while on duty," the court papers read.

Sky News reported the incident happened in 2017 when a call came through about robbery at a shop.

Chasing virtual creatures instead of robbers

Instead of rushing to help, Mitchell and Lozano, who were parked a stone throw away from the store, backed away.

The two initially claimed that they did not hear the radio, but it was later established that they heard it but ignored it.

The video system recorded them discussing Pokemon Go as they drove to different locations to catch the virtual creatures.

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Their appeal against their termination was dismissed as they lied about missing the radio call.

Kind police officer

In other news, YEN.com.gh reported a Kenyan cop who returned KSh 450,000 to a couple injured in an accident in Voi said he gave back the money due to his faith.

"Serving is a calling. This is the work that I vowed to do and I cannot compromise my Christianity by oppressing the needy because all of us are children of God," said Job Oyagi.

The 39-year-old said they declined gifts from the injured couple, saying they were doing their job and did not deserve any payment.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

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