Two LAPDwere fired from their jobs in 2017 for playing Pokémon Go while on duty, and now their appeal to be reinstated has been denied by a California.
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The team's car video camera showed that the two officers, Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, ignored a request for cover during a robbery because they were busy playing the game, according to court documents. The two were parked near an area where a robbery was in progress, and after responding officers called for backup, Lozano and Mitchell apparently ignored the call and fled the area.
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When later asked why they had not responded to the call, the two officers said they were in a noisy area and could not hear the radio. Lozano and Mitchell's supervisor was not convinced by their explanation and checked the car's recording system, commonly known as a dashcam, which revealed that the two had heard the call and chose to go elsewhere because they did not want to help. The supervisor reported the incident, which opened an official investigation.
According to court records, an extensive review of the in-car video system revealed that shortly after they left the scene of the robbery, the two officers were heard discussing Pokémon Go, including a Snorlax that had appeared and what the best route would be to find and catch it!
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When charged, the officers denied playing Pokémon Go and said they were simply having a conversation about it. They tried to appeal, arguing that the vehicle recordings were not intended to be used to monitor the officers’ “personal conversations,” but the judge ruled that this case was “flawed” and dismissed the appeal.
