Jake Paul, a well-known YouTube personality and digital influencer, has been formally charged by the Scottsdale, Arizona police with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly. The charges stem from an incident where he was seen among a group of looters at a local mall during the weekend.
“In our ongoing investigation, it was confirmed that Jake Paul was present and remained inside after an unlawful assembly was declared. He has been charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly,” the Scottsdale Police Department announced in a tweet on Thursday.
Paul has stated that neither he nor anyone in his group participated in looting or vandalism and that they were tear-gassed by the police.
“We recorded everything we witnessed in an attempt to document our experience and shed light on the widespread frustration in the communities we traveled through; our focus was solely on documenting, not participating,” Paul explained in a statement shared on Twitter.
“I do not support violence, looting, or law-breaking. However, I recognize the anger and dissatisfaction that led to the chaos we observed,” he added. “Though it’s not the solution, it’s crucial for people to witness it and collaboratively find a constructive path forward.”
The 23-year-old YouTuber had taken part in a protest following the death of George Floyd, who tragically died on May 25 after a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, kneeled on his neck for eight minutes.
