Police mistakenly identify Lil Uzi Vert as dog-napper

nme.com:

Lil Uzi Vert was mis-identified by local police as being the person at the centre of a dog-napping incident in Pennsylvania yesterday (August 31).The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department posted on Facebook about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy named Riku that had been stolen, alongside a photograph that was intended to be of the alleged suspect – but was in fact a picture of the Philadelphia rapper.The post was eventually corrected, with the genuine suspect’s photo replacing Uzi’s, but not before the mistake had been shared widely online.“The original photo of the male provided by the establishment was not the correct male,” said the Police Department in a statement. “We apologize for the error and any confusion.”Uzi’s management team Roc Nation issued the following statement in response: “Lil Uzi Vert was nowhere near Pennsylvania when this theft occurred, and 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.

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.”Uzi’s third studio album ‘Pink Tape’ was released in June, featuring guest spots from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon and others.