Social media star Jake Paul was arrested during the Black Lives Matter riots and protests in Arizona and has since released a statement about why he was arrested. At the same time, the police responded by explaining why they detained the YouTube star.
My Fox 8 out of Arizona reports that the charges against Paul were for unlawfully entering the Scottsdale Fashion Square mall.
Jake Paul arrested
The protest took place at a closed mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was part of an unlawful assembly.
The Scottsdale Police Department confirmed that they arrested Jake Paul.
According to the department, Paul was inside the mall illegally and remained in there and refused to leave when the unlawful assembly was declared.
They also confirmed the charges of Criminal Trespass & Unlawful Assembly.
We've received 100s of tips in response to the events at @ScottsdaleFS. In our continued investigation it was confirmed that Jake Paul was in attendance & remained inside after an unlawful assembly was declared & has been charged with Criminal Trespass & Unlawful Assembly. pic.twitter.com/ySPmZT7ADv
— ScottsdalePD (@ScottsdalePD) June 4, 2020
The police also told KSAZ that the assembly at the mall turned violent.
According to the police, it ended up as a “riot that saw several dozens of individuals collectively damaging property at and near the mall, breaking into businesses and looting the interiors.”
Paul apparently refused to leave the mall when asked, leading to his arrest.
Jake Paul issues statement
According to Jake Paul, he was not involved in the rioting or destruction of property.
Instead, he was there to document the event as it took place.
“Neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism.”
There have been many people blasting Jake Paul for his arrest, many of whom felt that he was causing problems instead of trying to fix them.
Paul fired back at critics who claimed he took part in the vandalism, and he insisted he was only there to document the criminal acts.
Paul went on to say that they were there to “peacefully protest” the death of George Floyd. While there, he alleged that the Arizona police showed up and tear-gassed them for filming the events and continued the acts police brutality in Arizona.
“We were strictly documenting, not engaging, Paul said. “I do not condone violence, looting, or breaking the law.”
He went on to say that he understands the frustration that led to the destruction he witnessed. He said it is not the answer, and we need to figure out a way to move forward in a more healthy direction.
“This is not the time to attack each other,” Paul concluded. “It’s time to join together and evolve.”
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) May 31, 2020
There is no word on why Jake Paul was in Scottsdale, Arizona, since he lives in Los Angeles.