Firings upheld for LAPD officers who played Pokémon Go on duty

A California appellate court has ruled that two former Los Angeles Police Department officers were rightfully fired after they were caught playing Pokemon Go on duty instead of responding to a robbery in progress.

The Second District Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the LAPD was justified in discharging Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell for misconduct in 2017.

On April 15, 2017, a surveillance system in their patrol car captured the officers discussing how they could catch a “Snorlax” in the game, just five minutes after they said “screw it” to responding a robbery call at a Macy’s near them in the Crenshaw area, according to court documents.

Their actions were investigated after they did not respond to radio calls and another LAPD officer saw their vehicle leave the area, moving away from the holdup, according to the court ruling.

They were fired after a police board of rights unanimously ruled that they both committed misconduct that was “unprofessional and embarrassing” and “violated the trust of the public.”

The officers asked a court to overturn their firings, arguing among other things that the recordings of their private conversations were improperly used as evidence, but the Superior Court judge denied their petition. The appeals court upheld that decision.

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