Footage has been released showing a pair of Los Angeles police officers ignoring police calls to instead drive and play Pokémon Go while on duty.
The video, which was released by 404media after a public records request, shows the car being driven erratically as officers race to catch Snorlax and then Togetic, the evolved form of Togepi.
Two cops talk excitedly about catching Pokemon, while radio calls can be heard in the background – including a request for backup at a local mall where a robbery is taking place.
The incident occurred in April 2017, when Pokémon Go was still relatively new and Snorlax and Togepi were relatively rare. Both officers were later fired.
You can watch an excerpt from the video – it’s three hours in total – via the embed below. In it, you can hear the officers chatter about the Pokemon in question and general lore of the series.
New from 404 Media: We finally got our hands on dash cam footage of two LA cops ignoring a robbery in progress to play Pokemon Go. Shows them speeding through residential areas, driving the wrong way down a one-way street to chase Pokemon
– He took it out! one shouts https://t.co/rWI89guX5c pic.twitter.com/EMbl06vMGj
— Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) October 10, 2023
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The extended version of the footage includes a discussion between the two regarding the Master Ball and whether or not the game will ever include it. (Pokémon Go did eventually add the Master Ball about six years later.)
