SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (WGHP/AP) — Jake Paul, a celebrity YouTuber, faces charges after he was involved in a protest in a closed mall in Arizona, according to Scottsdale, Arizona, police.
On May 30, Paul, who has more than 20 million subscribers, was spotted in the crowd at Scottsdale Fashion Square, TMZ reports.
He is a resident of Los Angeles. It is unclear why he was in Scottsdale.
Scottsdale police say they confirmed Jake Paul attended and remained in the mall after “an unlawful assembly was declared and has been charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly.” He was issued a summons to appear in court in a month.
Paul shared a statement on Twitter, saying, “To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism. 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 vents and brutality that were unfolding in Arizona.”
Scottsdale police say the gathering turned into a “riot that saw several dozens of individuals collectively damaging property at and near the mall, breaking into businesses and looting the interiors,” according to KSAZ.