Late-Night Pokémon Go ‘Gym Workout’ In Fort Greene Park Lands Neighbor A Ticket

It was a wonderful hot summer night for a moondance, but not for a war with Pikachu.

Police awarded 37-year-old neighbor Albert Wang with a summons instead of Pokécoins for being in Fort Greene Park after hours, reported the Daily News.

On Wednesday, July 20, the stockbroker was stopped at about 1:50am by four cops at Washington Park near Myrtle Avenue. Wang explained to the cops he was unaware of the park’s 1am curfew, but was nevertheless detained for roughly 30 minutes along with two other people.

“It was an innocent mistake,” Wang told the Daily News. “I live across the street and it was a hot night. The rule was written on the sign in fine print. It was easy to miss it.”

Wang’s summons requires him to go to court.

Enthusiasts of the game may know there’s a workout to be had at a “Pokémon Gym” located near the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. The “gym workout” involves competing against other players and their creatures.

The cop wrote “just playing Pokémon on his cell phone” to explain the reason for the summons.

Wang believes this summons was too harsh, as people caught drinking alcohol in an open container or urinating in public can mail their fine in without the necessity of appearing in court.

“The amount of implied social costs of this incident — the number of hours for all personnel involved in the court appearance — versus the actual offense seems so absurd that it borderlines on comical, let alone the draconian use of police authority,” Wang said.

Police told the Daily News that Wang received the summons for being in the park after hours; not for playing the game.

Instead of doing battle with Pikachu, Wang intends to fight this one in court. He is scheduled to do so on October 6.