UK Escaped Prisoner Caught Trying To Buy ‘Call Of Duty’

Clint Butler escaped prison in Birmingham, England in November 2020 and had successfully evaded police for several months. Butler’s downfall, however, came when he went on a clandestine trip to buy video games.

On January 13, 2021, Butler set out, determined to buy the double-colon-ed shooter, Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War. Butler and a friend walked to their local video shop to pick up the game. The United Kingdom, however, is under their third notably strict lockdown due to COVID-19.

Local police saw Butler and his friend walking outside during the lockdown. When Butler saw the police, the two of them quickly, and suspiciously, changed directions. The police officers then confronted Butler asking why he was outside.

“I’ve come to get the new Call of Duty because I can’t sit around in lockdown,” said Butler according to the West Midlands Police report.

Officers then pressed Butler for his details, but the escaped felon allegedly tried to attack one of the officers. After he was arrested, again, Butler earned an additional 13 months in jail on top of the 17 years he still must serve from his original charges.

West Midlands Police Superintendent Nick Rowe, keenly aware of the bizarre nature of the case, said in a press conference, “Quite why he decided to risk being returned to prison by making the idiotic decision to come into town during lockdown with a friend to buy a video game will remain a bit of a mystery.”