Dashcam footage shows police ignoring robbery to play Pokémon Go
LAPD officers later fired, but managed to catch Snorlax.
Footage has been published showing a pair of LAPD cops ignoring police calls to instead drive around and play Pokémon Go while on duty.
The video, which was published by 404media following public records requests, shows the car being driven erratically as the officers race to catch a Snorlax and then a Togetic - the evolved form of Togepi.
The two cops talk excitedly about catching Pokémon while, in the background, radio calls can be heard - including a request for backup at a local shopping mall where a robbery is in progress.
The incident dates back to April 2017, when Pokémon Go was still relatively new and both Snorlax and Togepi were relatively rare. Both officers were later fired.
You can view an excerpt from the video - it's three hours long in total - via the embed below. In it, you can hear some of the officers' chatter about the Pokémon in question and the general lore of the series.
New from 404 Media: we finally got the dash cam footage of the two LAPD cops who ignored a robbery in progress to play Pokemon Go. Shows they sped through residential areas, drove wrong way down one way street to chase Pokemon
— Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) October 10, 2023
"Got him!" one shoutshttps://t.co/rWI89guX5c pic.twitter.com/EMbl06vMGj
The extended version of the footage includes discussion between the two about the Master Ball, and a conversation about whether the game would ever include it. (Pokémon Go did indeed eventually add the Master Ball, some six years later.)