Two LAPD Officers Were Fired for Playing Pokémon GO, Ignoring a Robbery

Pokémon GO retains a respectable player base but sometimes, you need to put down the phone. It's a lesson two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers learned the hard way back in 2017, as a new court document revealed the pair were sacked for capturing Snorlaxes and Togetics instead of stopping a robbery.

According to Axios’ Stephen Totilo (via Kotaku), the two officers were caught by the in-car dash cam, later lying about their actions. While they tried to appeal, stating that their patrol car recording shouldn’t be used against them, that unsurprisingly ,didn’t work and the former LAPD officers are now out of a job.

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Two LAPD Officers Were Fired for Playing Pokémon GO, Ignoring a Robbery

There was a time when Snorlax and other Pokémon were region-specific in Pokémon GO, meaning that some fans would go around the world just to “catch 'em all.” However, Niantic has since adjusted the game to make most of these critters available for everyone.

Whatever your reason for playing Pokémon GO, whether it’s to get some minor exercise in or spend some time outdoors, maybe don't do it while a robbery's in progress. Pokémon GO is now available on iOS and Android devices.