YouTuber Jake Paul Charged By Police Over Mall Looting

YouTuber Jake Paul is walking on thin ice after being slapped with two demeanor charges. The charges come after Paul and some of his friends were identified to be part of the protest that took place in Scottsdale, Arizona. The protest took a bizarre turn when rioters started looting the malls and shops nearby.

According to Variety, the police have charged Paul with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly. In the report, Scottsdale police noted that they identified the social media influencer after going through hundreds of videos. Later, they found that he was indeed one of the “participants” in the riot.

The police report also indicated that Paul continued to stay at the site when the authorities told the rioters to leave the area. Hence, his presence in the area was declared as part of “unlawful assembly.”

The looting incident happened at the Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall.

“Following the riots and looting that occurred on the evening of May 30th, 2020 at Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall, the Scottsdale Police Department received hundreds of tips and videos identifying social media influencer, Jake Joseph Paul (23), as a participant in the riot. Our investigation has revealed that Paul was present after the protest was declared an unlawful assembly and the rioters were ordered to leave the area by the police,” the police said in a statement.

The Youtuber was quick to respond to the issue. He took to social media to voice his opinion on the charges.

“Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter,” Paul wrote in a tweet.

Last weekend, Paul’s videographer and photographer Andrew Blue shared a video of the YouTuber with his pals at Fashion Square. In the clip, Paul is not seen damaging any part of the mall, but the people around him are visibly kicking the glass windows.

The netizens who saw the video were outraged after seeing Paul among the looters. Several accused him of joining the crowd for content and likes.

At the time, Paul denied that he was involved in the acts of looting and vandalism. According to him, they were there to protest peacefully and added that they were “strictly documenting not engaging.”