Local police misidentified Lil Uzi Vert as the person at the center of a dog abduction incident in Pennsylvania yesterday (August 31).
The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department posted on Facebook the theft of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy named Riku, along with a photo purporting to be of the alleged suspect but was actually an image of the Philadelphia rapper.
Eventually, the message was corrected, and Uzi was replaced with a photo of the real suspect, but not before the error was widely shared on the Internet.
“The original photo of the man provided by the establishment was not the right man,” the Police Department said in a statement. “We apologize for the error and any confusion.”
Uzi’s management team, Roc Nation, released the following statement in response: “Lil Uzi Vert was nowhere near Pennsylvania when this robbery occurred, and the Wilkes Police Department should be ashamed and embarrassed -Barre Township for defaming Uzi’s character.
“This serious mistake could have significant consequences for Uzi’s career and shows how police departments across the country can wrongfully accuse and arrest black men. Uzi loves all animals and this serious mistake this prevents the arrest of the abductor. Our collective hope is that the pup will be transported safely.”
Uzi’s third studio album, Pink Tape, was released in June and features contributions from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj and Bring Me the Horizon, among others. It includes the 2022 single Just Wanna Rock and a cover of the 2001 song by System of a Down Chop Suey.
They will kick off their US tour in support of the album’s release on October 21st at The Armory in Minneapolis, ending at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center a month later. See the full list of dates below.
In June, Lil Uzi joined Paramore on stage at Madison Square Garden in New York and performed the latter’s song “Misery Business.” That same month, Uzi performed at the Ball of Governors in the same city, which NME described as “full of energy”.
Lil Uzi Vert’s upcoming US tour dates are:
OCTOBER
Saturday 21st – Minneapolis, MN @ The Army
Monday 23 – Chicago, Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Lady Gaga’s dog kidnapper sentenced to prison and alleged shooter, mistakenly released from prison, re-arrested
Watch Lil Uzi Vert sing ‘Misery Business’ with Paramore in New York
Tuesday 24 – Cincinnati, Andrew J Brady Music Center
Wednesday 25 – Detroit, Fox Theatre
Tuesday 31st – Boston, MGM Music Hall at Fenway
NOVEMBER
Thursday 2 – Hampton, Hampton Coliseum
Friday the 3rd – Raleigh, PNC Arena
Sunday 5 – Birmingham, Avondale Brewing Company
Monday 6 – Atlanta, Coca Cola Roxy
Wednesday 8 – Dallas, South Side Ballroom
Thursday 9 – Austin, Moody Center
Friday the 10th – Houston, 713 Music Hall
Monday 13 – Denver, Fillmore Hall
Thursday 16 – Los Angeles, Kia Forum
Saturday 18 – San Francisco, Bill Graham Civic Hall
Monday 20 – Brooklyn, Barclays Center
Wednesday 22: Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center
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