The impending release of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X has been met by a huge response from video game fans. Both devices, as well as variants such as the digital-only PS5 and the Xbox Series S, sold out almost immediately as soon as pre-orders became available. In Mayfield Heights, Ohio, these pre-order launches may have also led to a suspected felon's arrest.
A 34-year-old man from Cleveland, Ohio was charged with falsification and resisting arrest on September 25, 2020, after police were called to investigate a disturbance when someone cut in line at GameStop waiting for "the release of a new video game console," according to a report on the Mayfield Heights Police Blotter by the Cleveland Sun Messenger. It's not specified which console the man was waiting for, but it was likely the Xbox Series X/S given their pre-orders went live on September 22.
After the police arrived, the suspect gave conflicting information about his identity before fleeing the GameStop, according to the Cleveland Sun Messenger, and he was taken to the hospital for a small fracture sustained "when jumping a brick wall." The Mayfield Heights Police Department, which only lists public traffic accident data on its city website, turned him over to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office, as he had a pre-existing felony rape warrant.
While GameStop as a corporate entity has struggled in recent months due to complications from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it recently struck a multi-year partnership with Microsoft that raised GameStop stock. With next-generation console releases coming in November, it will be interesting to see how the retailer handles itself.