The three friends were sitting on a park bench at the time and had no idea the man had assaulted other players in the area on other occasions. The man now faces charges of malicious mischief and assault, according to local police.
Witnesses said the suspect, Stephen Jolly, asked the three kids who had just won a nearby gym in the Pokemon Go. The winner, Andrew Otton, explained that he was about to revive his pokemon when the man tried to take it out.
I took it from him and I didn’t know he just took it, and he was like, ‘Hey, did you just take this gym from me?,
the teen told police officers.
Other Players Had Been Assaulted in the Area
He added that the man looked very upset about the entire situation. One of the player’s friends said the alleged assailant punched his friend ‘several times’ which prompted him to start chocking Jolly to let his friend go.
One of the friends posted the incident on Facebook and publicized the man’s license plate. Other local Pokemon Go players said they had troubles with Jolly too. This time the assault happened on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail. The suspect told police that he did not hit anyone but he did use the tire iron on a nearby table.
Pokemon Go was first launched in July 2016. The game was behind a series of serious accidents, like players trespassing private property, driving into real-world lakes, or engaging in car crashes after not paying attention to the road. It is the first time, a player assaults other players, though.
Image Source: Flickr