In a video that recently surfaced, two ex-officers from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were found ignoring their duties to play Pokémon Go. The incident, which occurred in 2017, was initially disclosed by ABC7. It took place while officers Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were supposedly responding to a robbery at Crenshaw Mall.
Unveiled on Thursday October 5, from the LAPD online records, the video contains clips of Lozano and Mitchell strategizing to hunt a Snorlax and a rare Togetic in the well-liked mobile game. Worth noting is that, amidst their gaming activities, orders from their supervisors reporting a nearby Macy's robbery were blatantly disregarded. Post an internal inspection in 2018, the LAPD decided, to terminate the two officers.
These clips were initially captured from the officers' patrol vehicle, where they can be observed immersed in Pokémon Go. When orders for backup support came through the radio, Lozano notably said, "Ah, screw it," reports the L.A. Times.
Subsequent to their expulsion from the force, both ex-officers appealed their terminations. They stated the LAPD utilized the confidential dashcam recording inappropriately to prove misconduct and that they were questioned without legal or labor representation. However, the department was supported by a California appellate court that sustained a previous court verdict, deeming that the dismissals were right.
The incident was not widely known before the video's reveal and was only documented within the department's and court's records. The video's release sparked an intense public discourse about police focuses and repercussions of misbehavior.
According to L.A. Times, Greg Yacoubian, the attorney representing the disgraced officers, attacked the officers' treatment as unjust considering the alleged rule violations by the LAPD. Yet, the video's disclosure is crucial to progress the case and could potentially alter how future instances of law enforcement misdeeds are tackled and reported.
