Jake Paul Charged With Criminal Trespassing and Unlawful Assembly After Mall Looting Video
YouTuber Jake Paul was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly on Thursday, June 4, according to a statement from the Scottsdale Police Department’s public information officer obtained by In Touch. The 23-year-old was recorded inside the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall as looting was happening on May 30.
The Scottsdale Police Department “received hundreds of tips and videos identifying” Paul as “a participant in the riot,” according to the statement. Additionally, “Paul was present after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and the rioters were ordered to leave the area by the police.” The YouTuber had “unlawfully” entered the mall and remained inside the building after hours.
Paul took to Twitter to respond shortly after he was hit with the charges. “Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter,” wrote the web star.
The video of the influencer was first posted by his videographer, Andrew Blue, on his Instagram Story. While Paul can mostly be seen watching and laughing in the clip, those around him were shattering windows and wreaking havoc.
After the videos went viral, fans were outraged and called out the boxer for his alleged involvement. “Jake Paul, a millionaire, is looting a mall so that he could post a YouTube video about it and add more to his wealth. You can’t make this s—t up,” one Twitter user wrote. Jake Paul has a $19 million dollar net worth and a giant platform consisting of mainly kids, and he’s out here looting whilst others get teargassed and beat? F–k off, he really isn’t s–t,” another added.
The following day, Paul took to social media to deny any involvement in the destruction of property and simply said he was covering the events that unfolded after attending a peaceful protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. “To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism,” the former Disney star tweeted on Sunday, May 31. “For context, we spent the day doing our part to peacefully protest one of the most horrific injustices our country has ever seen, which led to us being tear-gassed for filming the events and brutality” Paul insisted he and his crew “were strictly documenting, not engaging” in the violence that transpired at the mall afterward.
Despite the charges against the personality, it appears he is going to continue to fight.
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