Wanted man sent police a selfie because his mug shot was 'terrible'
One wanted man wasn't too happy with how his mug shots turned out — so he offered the police department a more flattering selfie, The Washington Post reports. After Donald "Chip" Pugh, 45, was arrested in Lima, Ohio, for a DUI and failed to show up to court, the Lima PD posted his mug shots on their Facebook page, prompting Pugh's photographic correction. "Here's a better photo, that one is terrible," Pugh texted.
(Facebook, Lima Police Department)
The police took it all in stride, posting a screenshot of Pugh's message to their page. "This photo was sent to us by Mr. Pugh himself. We thank him for being helpful, but now we would appreciate it if he would come speak to us at the LPD about his charges," they wrote.
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Despite being a fugitive, Pugh justified his selfie in a phone interview for a radio station's "Idiot of the Day" segment. "They just did me wrong. They put a picture out that had me looking like I was a Thundercat or somebody, man," Pugh said. He went on to admit that while it might not have been wise to send the police a selfie, "I did it for all my idiot friends."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.