YouTube star Jake Paul denies looting mall in Arizona during George Floyd protests

As a video of Jake Paul standing inside a looted mall in Scottsdale emerged on social media, the YouTube star took to Twitter to deny taking part in the looting. Amid the protests over George Floyd’s death, looting was reportedly rampant in downtown Washington and elsewhere in the country. As per reports, the protesters broke into malls, Capital Bank, coffee shops and jewellery shops. A video of the protesters looting and vandalising a mall also went viral after which people pointed out that Jake Paul was also involved in one such incident. 

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Paul denies involvement in looting

However, Paul, who has nearly 20 million scribers on YouTube said that he had been protesting against the police killing of Floyd in Minneapolis earlier. In a statement posted on Twitter, the 23-year-old said that he nor anyone in his group was engaged in any looting or vandalism. He further also mentioned that he and his companions were tear-gassed by the police was filming ‘events and brutality’ that were being unfolded in Arizona. 

In his statement, he said, “We were gassed and forced to keep moving on foot. We filmed everything we saw in an effort to share out experience and bring more attention to the anger felt in every neighbourhood we travelled through; we were strictly documenting, not engaging”. 

He added, “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”. 

READ: Looting Rampant In Downtown Washington Amid Protests Over George Floyd's Death

Meanwhile, protest over the death of George Floyd continue in the United States. George Floyd died in police custody and his tragic death has angered millions across the world. Demonstrators reportedly said that the focus of the protests is the alleged institutional bigotry in American police forces. In viral footage, the police officer, who has now been arrested, could be seen kneeling over Floyd’s neck while he was struggling for breath while being handcuffed. All four police officers involved in 46-year-old’s arrest have been fired and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a federal civil rights inquiry.

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