LAPD officers ignore calls to play Pokemon Go
The Los Angeles Police Department recently released video of a 2017 incident where two officers ignored a call for backup, opting to play Pokémon Go instead. The officers were later fired.
ANGELS – The Los Angeles Police Department last week released video of a 2017 incident in which two officers ignored a robbery call to play Pokémon Go.
Los Angeles police officers Luis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were fired in 2018, more than a year after the alleged incident. The firings came after a disciplinary panel found them guilty of violating department policy. The incident was caught on a digital camera on the dashboard of the patrol car.
It happened on April 15, 2017. Around 5:45 p.m., a dispatcher requested Lauzan and Mitchell to back up another officer who was responding to a robbery in the area. The department said Lozano and Mitchell were only 200 yards apart. After they didn’t, the department said the officers lied about why. When asked by the controller why they did not answer the call on the walkie-talkie, they said that they were in the park where the music was playing and they did not hear it.
A video posted on October 5 tells a different story. After the call for help, Lozano asked Mitchell, “Should we ask if there’s a message? Maybe they want us to go there and help.”
Mitchell then said, “That’s up to you, senior.”
“Oh shit,” Lozano said.
About 20 minutes after the dash cam call, officers could be heard talking about Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game that allows users to “catch” Pokémon based on their real-world location.
“Snorlax just showed up,” Mitchell was heard on the recording, referring to the Pokemon. Officers could be heard discussing where the character would appear, then driving there to catch him. The officers continued for about 20 minutes, driving around the neighborhood discussing the mechanics of the game — “berries” and “ultras” — trying to catch other Pokemon.
After the incident, Lozano and Mitchell were charged with misconduct. The disciplinary panel voted unanimously to recommend their dismissal.
“In this scenario, their decision not to respond and then attempt to conceal their location leads to the conclusion that Lozano and Mitchell have shown a serious negativity and contempt for Captain Davenport and reflect poorly on all men and women who proudly wear the uniform. badge of the Los Angeles Police Department,” said the report detailing the board’s recommendations. “In evaluating the actions of Lozan and Mitchell while playing video games on their phones, the board failed to recognize their complete disregard for society and the wasteful nature of their behavior. Their disregard for discharge of official duties violates the public trust and is unprofessional and embarrassing conduct.’
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the two officers appealed their firings, but the California Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that the LAPD had the right to fire them.
Lozano has been with the LAPD for more than 17 years, and Mitchell has been with the department for almost 8 years at the time of the incident.
You can watch the full three-hour video here.
