Popular YouTuber Jake Paul has come under fire for taking part in looting after social media users allegedly spotted him and his friends stealing a bottle of vodka from a P.F. Chang's at a mall in Arizona.
In multiple videos shared on social media Paul, who has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube, filmed himself with members of his crew inside a mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, where looting was taking place amid protests in the city over the death of George Floyd.
He and his friends could be seen inside and outside the mall, as people ransacked and burglarized stores. In one of the stories he shared on Instagram, he added that police had teargassed him and his companions during the protests.
Caught on Video Looting, Vandalizing Property
Not long after Paul posted the videos, people were quick to point out the YouTube star's participation in the looting spree. Twitter users shared clips of the Instagram stories, shot by Paul's official videographer, allegedly showing a member of Paul's entourage breaking into a P.F Chang's in the mall and emerging out of the establishment with a bottle of vodka.
The bottle is later handed over to Paul by his friend, who is also seen breaking the windows of a car showcased inside the mall. Check out the footage below:
Paul Denies Allegations
In a statement shared on Twitter, Paul denied the allegations of looting and vandalism."To be absolutely clear, neither I nor anyone in our group was engaged in any looting or vandalism," Paul said in the statement.
"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," the statement further read.
However, it doesn't seem to have convinced anybody. "I've never seen anyone blatantly LIE so much in one (1) statement in my life.... There IS other videos/angles of you besides the one that went viral, you're even seen holding a vodka bottle from the looted PF Chang's," wrote one user.
"You looted a bottle of Vodka from P.F. Changs," commented another user. "You were at a Mall in Scottsdale. You went inside. You Participated. Your Excuse is Bullshit."
