Iowa football player playing "Pokemon Go" mistaken for robber, held at gunpoint
IOWA CITY, Iowa - A University of Iowa football player says he was playing "Pokemon Go" in a public park when he was mistaken for a suspected bank robber, surrounded by police and searched at gunpoint.
Faith Ekakitie wrote on Facebook that he feared for his life Wednesday in Iowa City. He explained that a bank had been robbed nearby and that he matched the suspect's description of a "large black male, wearing all black, with something on top of his head." He said he was wearing goggles on his head at the time.
Ekakitie said he understands why police did what they did, and that he blames the media for fearing for his life. He said he had headphones in and didn't respond to police commands. He thanked Iowa City police for their professionalism.
A police spokesman chalks up the episode to "unfortunate timing."
Tensions between police and the African American community have been high in recent weeks, with a series of shootings of police officers, as well as unarmed black men by police.
On its website, Iowa athletics says the 6'3", 290-pound Ekakitie is a senior from Brampton, Ontario, who, in 2015, "saw action in 12 games, recording 13 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery."