More On: Arizona
The governor of Arizona signed a bill that makes it illegal to film police within 8 feet
On Fox News, Jesse Watters breaks ranks and mentions the Arizona audit
Unhappy Cardinals star Chandler Jones requests trade
Yankees acquire Tim Locastro from Diamondbacks as season crumbles
Kyler Murray can’t seem to let go of baseball
YouTube star Jake Paul has been charged for being part of a “riot” in which looters stormed an Arizona mall, cops announced Thursday. Paul, 23, had insisted he was only documenting the looting when he was caught on video at the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale on Saturday. But Scottsdale police said Thursday he was …
YouTube star Jake Paul has been charged for being part of a “riot” in which looters stormed an Arizona mall, cops announced Thursday.
Paul, 23, had insisted he was only documenting the looting when he was caught on video at the Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale on Saturday.
But Scottsdale police said Thursday he was being charged following “hundreds of tips and videos from the community” that showed he was 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 department said, calling him a “social media influencer.”
“Paul also unlawfully entered and remained inside of the mall when it was closed.”
He was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanors, according to the department.
Paul was issued a summons to appear in court in a month.
“Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter,” the YouTuber tweeted shortly after the charges were announced.
Paul was one of at least 20 so far charged for the alleged riot, with police saying they have recovered over $46,000 of looted property.
He was seen wearing a mask in cellphone footage of the looting as people fled with merchandise and tried to damage a kiosk.
“To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism,” he had insisted in a statement Sunday, before the charges.
“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 events and brutality that were unfolding in Arizona,” he wrote.
“We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share our experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighborhood we traveled through; strictly documenting, not engaging.”
He insisted that he did “not condone violence, looting or breaking the law.”
“However, I understand the anger and frustration that led to the destruction we witnessed and while it’s not the answer, it’s important that people see it and collectively figure out how to move forward in a healthy way,” he wrote.
