Iowa Football Player Playing 'Pokemon Go' Gets Mistaken For Bank Robber, Held At Gunpoint

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — 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 writes on Facebook that he feared for his life Wednesday in Iowa City. He explains 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 says he was wearing goggles on his head at the time.

Ekakitie says he understands why police did what they did. He says he had headphones in and didn't respond to police commands. He thanks Iowa City police for their professionalism.

A police spokesman chalks up the episode to "unfortunate timing."

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