Police announced Thursday that Jake Paul, a YouTube personality known for his controversial videos, faces charges for his role in the looting of an Arizona mall on Saturday night.
Paul was charged with criminal trespass and unlawful assembly, both misdemeanor counts, according to Scottsdale, Arizona, police spokesman Sgt. Ben Hoster.
On Thursday, Paul responded on Twitter saying, “Gimme my charges and let’s put the focus back on George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.”
Paul posted videos to Instagram Saturday night saying he had been tear-gassed by police at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
Videos posted by Paul’s videographer also showed Paul and his friends setting off fireworks into the entrance of the mall.
Paul trespassed in the closed business location while the looting was occurring, according to a police report. It added he refused to leave the mall after having been given an order issued from a police helicopter.
The backlash on Twitter at Paul’s presence at the protest was swift, with one user writing, “Jake Paul, a millionaire, is looting a mall so that he could post a YouTube video about it and add more to his wealth.”
A petition calling for Paul’s arrest had almost 30,000 signatures as of Thursday morning. He was not initially among the 20 individuals that police reported they had arrested.
Paul responded Sunday in a statement on Twitter that no one in his group was engaged in looting or vandalism and instead spent the day peacefully protesting “one of the most horrific injustices our country has ever seen.”
“I do not condone violence, looting, or breaking the law; however I understand the anger and frustration that led to the destruction we witnessed,” Paul wrote. “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.”
The Scottsdale City Court issued a summons for Paul to appear in court June 8.
Have a tip out of Scottsdale? Reach the reporter Lorraine Longhi at llonghi@gannett.com or 480-243-4086. Follow her on Twitter @lolonghi.
This Post was originally published on usatoday.com