Pennsylvania cops wrongfully deem Lil Uzi Vert a dog thief, ask people to 'be on the lookout' for rapper
LUZERNE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: Local police in Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania, reportedly erroneously identified Lil Uzi Vert as a suspect in a dognapping case.
According to TMZ, the confusion happened because the real suspect used a photo of Uzi as his social media profile image.
As a result, it was reported that the pet shop from where the puppy was stolen forwarded the photo of Uzi to the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department.
Why was Lil Uzi Vert on the lookout?
According to reports, Uzi was wrongfully labeled as a suspect in a dognapping case.
In a subsequent Facebook post about the dog abduction, the police posted a picture of the rapper, and advised the public to "be on the lookout."
Facebook users quickly jumped to the comments section to clarify that the image was actually of the rapper.
The incorrect post was pulled down and replaced with one that included a photo of the real suspect around 30 minutes after it was published.
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The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department has assigned full responsibility for the blunder to the concerned pet shop.
The cops reportedly replaced their post after realizing that the suspect's face tattoos were different from Uzi's, according to the shop's version of events.
How did Roc Nation react when Lil Uzi Vert was misidentified as suspect?
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Uzi's management company, Roc Nation, issued a scathing statement in response to what had happened and that the rapper was not even in Pennsylvania when the dog was stolen.
The company said, "The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging [Uzi's] character."
"This grave error could’ve had significant repercussions on Uzi’s career and epitomizes how Black men can be wrongfully charged and arrested by police departments across the country," they continued.
Roc Nation, which is headed by Jay-Z, added, "Uzi loves all animals and this serious mistake has deterred the apprehension of the kidnapper. Our collective hope is that the puppy is safely and promptly rescued."
Did Lil Uzi ever get arrested?
According to TMZ, in 2022, Uzi pled no contest to one felony and one misdemeanor after being charged with three felonies: assault with a handgun, criminal threats, and domestic abuse, as well as possessing a loaded firearm as a misdemeanor.
He was embroiled in a case involving his ex-girlfriend, Brittany Byrd, and the rapper St Jhn.