Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty
Jake Paulwill not face federal charges after being identified in a video showing thelooting of an Arizona mall amid proteststhat began in response to thekilling of George Floydlast year.
“Based upon the investigation and evidence available at this time, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is not pursuing federal charges against Jake Paul for his conduct,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona said in a statement toNBC News.
Misdemeanor chargesagainst the 24-year-old social media star were previously dismissed, according to the outlet.
In May 2020, Paul participated in the protests erupting across the United States over thekilling of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck in Minneapolis.
Paul documented the demonstration on his Instagram Story, claiming that he had been tear-gassed and that his eyes were “bleeding.”
He was later identified in a separate video watching looters vandalizing a P.F. Chang’s restaurant at the Fashion Square mall in Scottsdale, Arizona — which prompted backlash on social media.
“To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism,” the YouTubershared in a statementat the time, adding that he was “strictly documenting, not engaging.”
“I do 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,” Paul continued. “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.”
Jake Paul.Leon Bennett/Getty
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source: people.com
