George Floyd protests: Stephanie Pratt calls for looters to be shot, reminded of her own shoplifting arrest
Stephanie Pratt’s concerns over the alleged looting amid the nationwide protests against George Floyd’s death has backfired. She has been accused of promoting violence against the demonstrators as she tweeted on Sunday, May 31: “Shoot the looters – using this tragedy as their excuse to rob and burn all of our towns down.”
In another tweet, the ‘Hills: New Beginnings’ alum wrote, “Anyone else sobbing watching their town being burned down? Where the f--- is the national guard — Santa Monica is burning!!!!!!" as she added: “My heart breaks for all of these businesses around LA affected. First the quarantine & now this.”
However, her tweets were not taken in a good way and she received harsh criticism with several people on Twitter pointing out her hypocrisy. They reminded Pratt of her arrest in 2006 for shoplifting $1,300 worth of clothing from a Neiman Marcus department store in Hawaii with a friend. At the time, she was charged with theft and drug possession. Not just that, even her mugshot from that arrest when she was just 20 also went viral.
‘Batwoman’ actor Camrus Johnson commented on her post, “LOOOOOOL come on now Stephanie. Did you really tweet this for the world to see knowing you got arrested for looting. That’s wild,” while ‘Scrubs’ alum Bob Clendenin said, “I’m trying to guess from your booking photo what you were stealing. Is attention sold in stores?”
Other social media users also joined them in slamming Pratt as one wrote, “No, we are sobbing watching a black man murdered in front of our own eyes by a cop. Things can be replaced lives cannot. Check your white privilege.” “Um.. no, we're sobbing at how many black people’s lives are being lost to police brutality," a second person echoed.
“I think more people are sobbing watching video footage of the murder of an innocent black man in broad daylight," the third person added while another pointed out: “Looks like she benefitted from police bias in that arrest, too. No way she'd be free today if she'd been black and been found with that much-stolen merch AND a purse full of drugs."
To defend her comments, Pratt later explained, “There’s some confusion between the words looter & protester on the news - The protesters are trying to make changes & end decades-long police violence which we ALL WANT-we love them - Looters, however, are a**holes."
The demonstrators have taken to the streets across the US after the May 25 death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis Police officer who knelt on his neck for around 8 minutes. Video footage of the 46-year-old unarmed African-American man went viral showing him crying out, “I can’t breathe” last week, which led to the arrest of now a former police officer Derek Chauvin.
44-year-old Chauvin was later charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on May 29 while the other officers involved in the incident have been fired. Several celebrities, including Rihanna, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jordan have also spoken against the tragic death of Floyd.