[imagesource:unsplash]

Surely you have to be a certain kind of dom to think you could get away with shoplifting while in your full police uniform.

The Alabama Police Department was caught in an awkward incident this week as one of their own was caught red-handed stealing Pokémon cards from a local shop.

The officer, identified as Josh Hardy, allegedly entered a Walmart store in Oxford in his uniform on August 12, on his way home from his shift.

Hardy began opening packs of Pokémon cards and discreetly slipping individual cards into his pockets. He got away with this part easily enough, but when Hardy tried leaving the store without paying, the store’s loss prevention employees approached the officer in order to confront him.

Instead of facing the consequences, Hardy chose to flee on foot. Epic facepalm.

The Oxford Police Department was swiftly called to action, and the hunt for the rogue correctional officer was on. Hardy was eventually located at a local restaurant, still dressed in his uniform, with the stolen Pokémon cards on his person. ‘Getting away with it’ is a phrase clearly lost on this amateur criminal.

Hardy was taken into custody and transported to the Oxford City Jail, and the poor Calhoun County Sheriff, Matthew Wade, had to play clean-up as the embarrassment of the policeman’s actions set in.

The Sheriff expressed his regret over the situation and told the public:

“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 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.”

Embarrassing indeed. It’s a no-brainer that Hardy will never be able to work in the field of law enforcement again.

Pokémon cards have managed to stay relevant for decades after their inception, and the shiny little rectangles are coveted by those who play the game. It appears there’s a huge move back to fantasy card games, with even Post Malone getting on the action with a whopping $2 million Magic: The Gathering card purchase this month.

The allure of these collectibles has led to various incidents of theft around the world, including the notorious New Year’s Eve burglary in Tokyo, where a trading card shop lost over £9 342 (R227 000) worth of Pokémon cards in just under a minute.

It seems that crime does ‘pay’ when it comes to dodgy Pokémon card dealings, but not if you’re as stupid as Hardy.

At least the whole thing makes me feel a bit better about South Africa’s own cops, who are embroiled in criminal activity on the regular.

[source:nme]