An American police officer is now contending with criminal charges after he was spotted stealing Pokémon cards at a Walmart.
Josh Hardy, who was a Calhoun County correctional officer, allegedly entered the Walmart in Oxford, Alabama, on his way home from his shift on August 12. While in uniform, Hardy started to open packs of Pokémon cards and placed the individual cards in his pockets.
When Hardy moved to exit the store without paying, the Walmart’s loss prevention employees confronted him about his actions. The officer then fled on foot and the Oxford Police Department were called to track him down.
The team located him at a local restaurant, still wearing his uniform, with the stolen Pokémon cards on his person. Police officers arrested him for theft and he was taken to the Oxford City Jail.
Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade expressed his shame and disappointment in the events that led to Hardy being caught by his colleagues.
“It is with great embarrassment that we have to report this incident and Hardy has been terminated from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office,” he said in a statement provided to the public (via Advance Local).
“He has tarnished our agency and the image of all law enforcement. As sheriff, I promised to be transparent and hold my staff accountable to a standard higher than average citizens,” concluded Wade.
It is well known that Pokémon cards are valued astonishingly highly by collectors, causing them to be an enticing target for thieves. In late 2022, a number of trading card shops in Tokyo suffered burglaries, with one store losing over 1.5million yen (£9,342) worth of Pokémon cards in under 60 seconds on New Year’s Eve.
In other gaming news, £236,000 ($300,000) worth of trading card game cards were lifted from Gen Con 2023 in Indianapolis at the start of August.
The post Alabama police officer caught stealing Pokémon cards while in uniform appeared first on NME.
