Ceaselessly clueless cops in Pennsylvania shared a photo of Lil Uzi Vert when seeking the public’s help for info on a suspected dog thief, despite the Pink Tape artist (and Philly native) having absolutely nothing to do with the alleged crime.
In an initial Facebook post, as since seen in reports from TMZ and Page Six, the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department shared what is clearly a photo of Uzi in an alert regarding a man who allegedly stole a puppy from Brookside Pups at Pine Mall.
The original post reportedly remained live for "about 30 minutes" before being taken down. In a follow-up post, the department noted the error.
"The original photo of the male provided by the establishment was not the correct male," the Wilkes-Barre police department wrote, as seen below. "This current photo is the actor in question. We apologize for the error and any confusion."
Per TMZ, citing a store spokesperson, the suspect had made a photo of Uzi his profile picture on one of his social media accounts. When reached for comment by Complex on Friday, the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department put the blame on the store.
"It was an error on the part of the store loss prevention and was immediately corrected," a rep said in an email.
In a statement to Complex, a Roc Nation rep pointed out that police "should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging Uzi's character." See the rep's full statement below:
“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.”
While the 26-track Pink Tape is just two months old, Uzi has been teasing the potentially imminent arrival of even more new music, including the possible Young Thug homage, Barter 16.
Last month, Uzi expanded their Pink Tape Tour by adding seven new dates to the trek. New stops include second dates in Chicago, Atlanta, and more.
