YouTuber Jake Paul Charged With Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly
Jake Paul has found himself in a legal situation.
Over the weekend, the YouTube star and his friends broadcast live as they followed protests through Scottsdale, Arizona including the Fashion Square mall.
But on Thursday morning, Scottsdale Police confirmed to E! News that Jake is now facing two misdemeanor charges.
"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," police said in a statement. "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."
Police allege Jake also unlawfully entered and remained inside of the mall when it was closed. As a result, Jake has been charged with Criminal Trespass and Unlawful Assembly.
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E! News has reached out to Jake's team for comment and has not heard back. The social media star, however, did speak out on Twitter and wrote, "Gimme my charges and let's put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter."
On Sunday, Jake shared a statement on what transpired over the weekend. At the time, he denied being part of any looting or vandalism.
"To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism," he shared. "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 that were unfolding in Arizona. We were gassed and forced to keep moving on foot. 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; we were strictly documenting, not engaging."
The YouTube star continued, "I do not condone violence, looting or breaking the law; however, I understand the anger and frustration that led to the destruction that 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. We are all doing the best we can to be helpful and raise awareness; this is not the time to attack each other, it's time to join together and evolve."
On Wednesday, Jake also shared a YouTube video in hopes of raising funds for the NAACP. As of Thursday morning, he raised more than $37,000.
For more ways to take action and get involved with the Black Lives Matter movement, please click here.
