Thumbnail photo credits: Pokémon anime series
Here is a rather unusual story, that of an attempted theft of Pokémon cards by a police officer in Kansas, United States. How Pokémon cards can drive some totally crazy, and this type of event never ceases to prove it to us!
A well-rehearsed plan
It was on May 13 that William C. Knight, employed by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office since 2019, has put into action its Machiavellian plan to pay for Pokémon cards at a discount. From his home, he had torn barcodes from very cheap objects and then put them on the packs of cards.
Arriving at a store’s self-checkout counter, he began slowly scanning his items until a security guard noticed the deception. Panicked, the police officer emphasized his professional status, saying he absolutely had to leave. According to William Knight, his post had just called him for an emergency. Thereby, he convinced the security guard who let him gointimidated by his status as a police officer.
Later, the thief was identified and the toll fell: William Knight stole $394 worth of Pokémon cards. A meager booty which however earned him severe penalties.
Heavy penalties
William Knight no doubt regrets his action because he received a severe punishment for stealing these Pokémon cards…or at least for intentionally buying them at a discount. As of May 16, he left the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. We do not yet know if it is a dismissal or a suspension as the details of the case are still unclear. In any case, the police officer has not returned to work since the end of last May.
Since then, he seems to have found a new job and is trying to redeem himself with his community. No one knows if he will one day be able to resume his work as a policeman but one thing is certain, he will surely never attempt to steal Pokémon cards again.
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