After other trainers kicked him out of the arena, this Pokémon GO trainer pulled out a tool, a tire iron. He is accused of robbery and vandalism.
A man from Washington State has now been charged with robbery and intentional damage. This incident is related to an arena takeover in Pokémon GO. It is reportedly not the first time the player has attacked others.
Defeated gym leader fights with unfair means
According to Katu.com, three Pokémon GO players were sitting on a park bench in Vancouver when a stranger drove up in his car and attacked the group with a tire iron. The attacker was apparently upset over Pokémon GO.
One of the three players, Andrew Otton, explains: “He came out of nowhere and shouted ‘Who of you is Andy?’
Otton explains that his username in Pokémon GO is AndySamberg and he was just about to power up his Pokémon when the attacker, Stephen Jolly, tried to take over the gym.
Apparently, Otton had retaken the gym shortly after Jolly’s takeover. Jolly reportedly said, “Hey, did you just take the gym from me? I think that’s really messed up!” According to Otton, Jolly sounded very aggressive.
One of Otton’s friends says that Otton had been hit multiple times by Jolly. So the friend had to intervene. “I went behind him and started choking him,” explains Grayson Hagstrom. “I thought if he is unconscious, he won’t be as strong.”
In Pokémon GO, players earn in-game currency by using their Pokémon as gym defenders. This way, a player from Team Red can place his defenders in a red gym. Now, if a player from Team Blue or Yellow comes, they can take over the gym and throw the defender out of the gym.
Defendant denies attack
According to the court, Stephen Jolly admitted to hitting a table with the tire iron. However, he claims that he did not hit anyone from the player group.
Otton and Hagstrom explain that they are not the only ones who encountered Jolly. “We posted the incident on Facebook and showed his car’s license plate. Other players then said that he has done such things many times before and we were the first to stop him.”
According to the police, there are no similar incidents involving Jolly. He told the officers that he takes no alcohol or drugs, but takes medication for mental health issues. He is being charged with robbery and intentional property damage.
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