Summary
Six-year-old dashcam footage shows a pair of police officers playingPokemon GOon the job and breaking numerous traffic laws in the process.Pokemon GOhas proven in the pastto be a source of distraction for drivers.
Pokemon GOwas first launched in 2016 as one of Nintendo’s earliest forays into the mobile gaming industry. Reportedly, it was even the last game that late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata got to work on. The free-to-play title utilizes AR to give the illusion of Pokemon from across the various generations hanging out in the real world. It has been a runaway hit even among non-gamers, grossing billions for Nintendo and Niantic and garnering millions of players.Pokemon GOrecently celebrated its seventh anniversaryon the market and has held many events throughout the years, both in-game and in the real world.
Pokemon GOis no stranger to controversies, specifically regarding how those who play it outside are prone to trip, bump into each other, or cause traffic accidents due to not looking where they’re going,sometimes even injuring themselves. Usually, police are called to address incidents like these, but in this case, they were the distracted ones. According to leaked dashcam footage from June 02, 2025, posted to 404 Media, a pair of cops were tasked with stopping a robbery in progress, only to be distracted by a Togetic in the area. Thus, on the way to the crime, their car made an illegal U-turn, went the wrong way down a one-way street, and traveled over the speed limit on a residential road, even callously zooming over a speed bump.
At the end of the video, one officer finally exclaims that they caught their target. This footage took place soonafterPokemon GO’s Togetic spawn rate was improved, so it was more than likely that these cops were taking advantage of it. Regardless, it does not make their actions any more excusable, and fortunately there were no close calls or injuries. Many in the tweet’s comments appeared rightfully disappointed and appalled by these cops' reckless behavior, though some more amused commenters jokingly stated that what they did was right.
Thankfully, both officers were reprimanded for their indolence and turned in their badges. Regardless of that or the reasoning behind what they did, it only serves as further proof thatPokemon GO, like a multitude of other things, should always be enjoyed with responsibility.
Pokemon GOis available to play on Android and iOS.
