[GameSpot] - Correctional Officer Allegedly Steals Pokemon Cards While Still In Uniform, Gets Arrested

[343iBot]

Pokemon cards aren't quite at the same peak as they were during the pandemic. That doesn't mean the interest has faded, though. In fact, a jailer from Alabama was apparently willing to sacrifice his career just to get more of them for free. Advance Local reported that Officer Josh Hardy was charged with stealing Pokemon cards from Walmart over the weekend.

Matthew Wade, the Calhoun County Sheriff, told the public that Hardy had just completed his shift at the jail before heading to the Walmart in Oxford, Alabama. He was still in uniform.

“It is with great embarrassment that we have to report this incident,’’ Wade said of the incident (via Advance Local). "Hardy has been terminated from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.”

Whatever Hardy was doing, he wasn't so slick about it (allegedly). Walmart loss prevention officers said that they watched him open pack after pack of Pokemon cards before stuffing them in his pockets and attempting to leave the store without paying for them. At that point, the employees tried to stop him, but he made a run for it and escaped on foot.

The local police department started searching for him after receiving the report from Walmart employees. They eventually found Hardy at a nearby restaurant with the Pokemon cards. From there, they arrested him for theft and put him in the Oxford City Jail. Needless to say, the sheriff wasn't having it.

"He has tarnished our agency and the image of all law enforcement," Wade said. "As sheriff, I promised to be transparent and hold my staff accountable to a standard higher than average citizens."

In other TCG news, the Pokemon Company is donating $200,000 to the Hawaii Wildfire Relief Fund. This announcement comes after the company's decision to host the 2024 Pokemon World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii.

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