Police posted a man's mugshot.
He didn't like it.
So while they were looking for him, he sent them a better selfie.
Police used it.
The internet laughed.
Then he was arrested.
But behind that simple sequence is a perfect snapshot of the social-media era.
Images matter.
People care intensely about how they appear online.
A photograph can travel much farther than its subject ever expected.
And sometimes an attempt to control your own image can have exactly the opposite effect.
Donald “Chip” Pugh apparently wanted to replace a photograph he thought made him look bad.
Instead, he created the photograph that made his story famous.
For the Lima Police Department, what began as a standard request for public assistance became one of its biggest social-media moments of 2016. The department later recorded the episode in its annual report, noting that the post had attracted more than 814,000 views around the world.
For news organizations, it was an irresistible oddity.
For social-media users, it was comedy.
And for Pugh, it ultimately ended with another photograph — a fresh mugshot after his arrest in Florida.
There is an obvious lesson in the story, although perhaps not the one Pugh intended.
If police are actively searching for you, sending them a clearer, more stylish photograph of yourself is probably not the best way to stay unnoticed.
But if your primary concern is making sure the internet sees your good side, Pugh certainly succeeded.
His carefully selected selfie traveled far beyond Ohio, appeared in news reports around the world and became permanently associated with one of the strangest wanted-person stories of the social-media age.
Most fugitives would prefer that nobody recognize them.
Donald “Chip” Pugh made sure hundreds of thousands of people got a better look.
And all because he thought the original photograph was terrible.
Sources
Lima Police Department — 2016 Annual Report: The department's official annual report confirms that the January 6, 2016 wanted post prompted Pugh to send police his own selfie after objecting to the photograph. It also reports that the resulting social-media post received more than 814,000 views worldwide.
ABC News — “Ohio Fugitive Who Didn't Like Mug Shot Sends Selfie to Police,” January 12, 2016: ABC reported details provided by Lima Police Lt. Andy Green, including the active failure-to-appear warrant, Pugh's Facebook contact with police and his status as a person of interest in other investigations.
CBS News — “Man sought by police sends ‘selfie,’ complains about mugshot,” January 12, 2016: CBS independently documented Pugh's selfie, his message to police and the Lima Police Department's public response.
Reuters — January 12, 2016: Reuters reported that Pugh sent police a photograph he considered more flattering after seeing the mugshots posted by Lima police, confirming the circumstances surrounding the viral exchange.
CBS News — “Wanted Ohio man who sent ‘selfie’ to police is arrested,” January 12, 2016: CBS reported Pugh's subsequent arrest in Century, Florida, and said authorities indicated a tip helped lead to his capture.
The Washington Post — January 2016: The newspaper documented both the viral selfie episode and Pugh's unusual radio interview while authorities were still looking for him, as well as his subsequent arrest in Florida.