Two officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were fired for gambling, among other things Pokémon Go, a newly released court document revealed (h / t Axios).
Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell, who served together for 28 years, beat police officers. An investigation in 2017 found that they had ignored a commanding officer’s request for help handling an ongoing robbery of a nearby Macy’s. Instead of answering, the two left the area hoping to catch Snorlaxes and Togetics Pokémon Go. This decision, captured by the dash cam on the in-car digital video system (DICVS), as well as attempts to lie about their actions, ultimately led to the officers being fired from the LAPD.
Reps submitted for Lozano and Mitchell a petition contesting this decision, argues that the use of the DICVS footage as part of an official investigation into their conduct violated the protection of private conversations between officers. That appeal was denied on January 7th, which gave us an excellent glimpse into the hilarious events that played out in the police cruiser that fateful day.
For about 20 minutes, the DICVS held petitioners discussing Pokémon while they drove to various locations where the virtual creatures appeared to appear on their cellphones. On the way to the Snorlax location, Officer Mitchell notified Officer Lozano that “a Togetic has just turned up” and noted that it was “[o]n Crenshaw, south of the 50th. “After Mitchell apparently caught Snorlax and exclaimed” Got ’em, “the petitioners agreed,”[g]o get the Togetic ”and drove off. When their car stopped again, the DICVS recorded Mitchell, who said, “Don’t run away. Don’t run away, ”while Lozano described how he“ buried and ultra-balled ”the Togetic before announcing,“ I got him. ”Mitchell said he was“[s]until I try to catch it, “added,” Holy crap man. This thing fights the crap out of me. “Finally Mitchell exclaimed,” Holy crap. Finally ”, apparently in relation to the capture of the Togetic, and he remarked,“ The[ ] Guys will be so jealous. “The petitioners then agreed to return to the 7-Eleven (where Sergeant Gomez later met them) to end their watch. On the way, Mitchell commented,” I got you a new Pokémon today, dude. “
In 2005, the United States Supreme Court ruled that police officers have no constitutional obligation to protect the public from harm, but I think ignoring a colleague is going too far.
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