'Pokemon Go' News: Don't Walk Into A Police Station And Look Both Ways Before Crossing

Here's a Pokémon Go tip for all the trainers out there: a police station is not the ideal place to play the game. Though Pokémon Go just released in Japan, New Zealand and Australia, a police station has already encountered unusual activity involving a Sandshrew. The Darwin Police Station of Australia's Northern Territory issued the following PSA on Facebook:

"For those budding Pokemon Trainers out there using Pokémon Go — whilst the Darwin Police Station may feature as a Pokestop, please be advised that you don't actually have to step inside in order to gain the pokeballs.

"It's also a good idea to look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street. That Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast.

"Stay safe and catch 'em all!"

The Darwin Police Station weren't kidding about looking both ways! A redditor named Bastrion shared a story about capturing an Abra that almost took his/her life:

"Got the app, set it up, walked out of my office and onto my usual 1km walk through the park and down the side of a main road," shared Bastrion. "As I was approaching the end of the park and turning into the main road, a wild Abra appeared! I stopped and pointed my camera up as a cyclist rode straight into me, knocking us both flying, me tottering into the road and narrowly missing a bus. She was really pissed off, but I got my Abra so screw it. TIL the warnings are true."

Pokémon Go is an innovative game and it's too soon to gauge the sort of cultural impact it may have. However, if something can be learned from the Darwin Police Station's statement and Bastrion's story, perhaps a new update could make Pokémon Go a better and safer experience for players. Namely, a patch that avoids awkward sites like a police station, or a potentially dangerous location like a busy intersection.

Unlike your typical casual/social mobile game, Pokémon Go features augmented gameplay that encourages players to get out of the house and do something active. The smartphones' GPS will direct players to Pokémon locations, while its camera displays the virtual Pokémon over real surroundings.

As of three hours ago, a tweet from Glixel reported Pokémon Go will come to the U.S. later today and to Europe later this week.