When the 45-year-old man didn’t show up for court in December to deal with charges related to operating a vehicle under the influence and under suspension, a warrant was issued for failing to appear in court. In an attempt to locate Pugh, Lima Police Department posted his mug shot from the November DUI arrest on their Facebook page, alerting the public to be on the lookout.
Pugh commented on the Lima Police Department posts, until the department blocked him from further posting, and told police he would send them a better photo of himself, which he did. He sent the Lima Police Department a mug shot selfie because he thought the mug shot was “terrible.”
Apparently, the Lima Police Department has a sense of humor and posted the mug shot selfie alongside the department mug shot with instructions to Pugh asking him to turn himself in. “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.”
Some commenters immediately noticed the arrogance and narcissism and let the Lima PD know.
Danny Fernandez offered a suggestion to help catch Pugh: “LPD, might I suggest offering Mr. Pugh a glamor shot in his favorite shirt instead of a mugshot in jail garb in exchange for him turning himself in.”
Jackie Rigel-Burkholder just got right to the point in her comment: “narcissism at its best….”
However, not everyone was as amused. Michael Hershberger, responding to another commenter who suggested Hershberger find and catch Pugh himself after he disagreed with the LPD plastering his mug shot selfie all over the Internet. “I don’t get paid enough to find him nor do I care…I’m just saying that this is how your tax dollars are being spent and it’s awesome to see none of them are being utilized in that aspect….instead lets rely on social media to make a mockery of the police department.”
That same day, a spoof page appeared on Facebook titled “Free Chip Pugh,” apparently created by someone who claims no connection to Pugh. The page quickly reached more than 300 followers, no doubt boosting Pugh’s confidence in himself if he was still lurking around. A Facebook post he made himself to another group shows just how sure he was of himself in taunting the police and entertaining the Internet.
Also on January 7, Pugh appeared on the radio talk show “Two Tons of Fun” hosted by Phil Austin and Ryan Staley on 104.9. The two conducted a phone interview with Pugh after nominating him “idiot of the day” for their segment. Pugh explained the origins of the original mug shot used by the police and why he sent them a selfie, claiming it was the first time he had been arrested on a misdemeanor.
“I felt like a kid in a candy store. I knew I was walking out in a couple minutes…Let me tell you what happened. Thanksgiving, a few nights before Thanksgiving, I think Thanksgivings on a Tuesday. I got drunk. I mean I had myself a good time, got pulled over for a DUI man, had to go to court December 28th and I just chose not to go. Therefore, I have a fourth degree misdemeanor for failure to appear in court. Lima News put it out there like I burnt down somebody’s house, I did all this vandalism. Man, I got a dang on a DUI. Now I choose to be on the run like Bonny and Clyde.”
The radio show hosts asked him what his plans were and if he planned on turning himself in after playing around for a while. Pugh related how his grandmother used to read him a story with his favorite hero whose favorite words were “run, run as fast as you can. Can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man.”
He then goes on to acknowledge that what he did is nothing more than a three-day penalty but when he was questioned by the officer, “the officer chose not to see it my way. The officer got a little arrogant with me so therefore I couldn’t help but get arrogant.”
The arrogance doesn’t stop there. He goes on to compare himself to that of a hero and admit it was all for attention. “After this thing took off like it did, it’s like it went viral in a way. I started having fun with it, it’s like I became the hometown hero. I’m defying all law and hey, I couldn’t help but run with it. I did it for my idiot friends.”
Before ending the radio segment, Pugh goes on to explain how the LPD was wrong in banning him from posting on Facebook, even comparing it all to a hostage situation. “I feel like they’re cheating me out … I posted on Facebook and they blocked me from their Facebook page. Who does that? You got an open hotline. It’s like your hostage negotiation.”
Interestingly, Lima Municipal Court records also show Pugh was issued a warrant that same day on a domestic violence charge. And public records indicate Pugh has a history of such charges, just in Lima, beginning in 1988 – Driving under suspension multiple times, improper handling of a firearm, disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, domestic violence. That doesn’t include the charges in other counties.
Law enforcement caught up to Pugh in Florida on January 12 when Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested him after receiving a tip. He is currently being held for a warrant out of Muscogee County Georgia for a probation violation. It appears Pugh is wanted for a lot more than he’s willing to admit. Yet, despite all this, it appears to still all be a game to him and his new Escambia County mug shot says it all.
From the beginning, Pugh wanted everyone to believe, and likely believed himself, that this was all the result of a DUI which he felt was nothing. He shows his arrogance in sending the police a better photo of himself that could also help identify him. He’s concerned with the public image of himself, as is evident by his reaction the posting of the original mug shot, the image he sent to police and the most recent mug shot taken today in Florida.
Based on his actions and his comments over the radio, he presents himself as being above the law, as unstoppable and uncatchable, as misunderstood and cheated. His words and actions make it obvious he was desperately seeking attention and publicity — which is exactly what he got. Except he didn’t get away like Bonny and Clyde, there’s no negotiation and he’s not a hero.
