September 01, 2023
A photo of hip-hop star Lil Uzi Vert accidentally was shared on social media by Wilkes-Barre police Thursday as part of an investigation into the kidnapping of a dog.
Police included the Philadelphia native's photo in a Facebook post asking the public to be on the lookout for a suspect wanted for stealing a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel from a pet shop, TMZ first reported.
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The original Facebook post had Uzi's picture along with photos of the ruby-colored dog and a black pickup truck that police said the suspect and an accomplice had used to get away after taking the dog from Brookside Pups. The truck was last seen on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and was believed to be heading to Philadelphia, which is about 120 miles south of Wilkes-Barre.
Lil Uzi Vert was mistakenly identified as a puppy thief by the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department in Pennsylvania.
— BoreCure (@CureBore) August 31, 2023
The suspect had Uzi's face as his pfp, which led to the confusion. The police replaced the photo with the correct suspect's image after realizing the mistake. pic.twitter.com/OMkqiVIW6A
Shortly after the error was spotted Thursday, police updated the Facebook post with a new photo showing part of the suspect's face, which has tattoos that bear some passing resemblance to those on Uzi's face. The updated post apologized for the error.
Brookside Pups told TMZ that the the confusion may have stemmed from one of the suspect's social media profiles, which has a picture of Lil Uzi Vert as its avatar.
Roc Nation, which represents Uzi, said the rapper was nowhere near Wilkes-Barre or Philadelphia on Thursday. The record label condemned the police department's mistake.
"The Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department should be embarrassed and ashamed for disparaging (Uzi's) character," Roc Nation said in a statement. "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."
The label added that Uzi "loves all animals" and shared hope that the dog will be safely rescued.
Wilkes-Barre police are still searching for the suspect and the missing dog.
Lil Uzi Vert has had a chaotic couple of weeks. Last week, the rapper revealed that the release of their upcoming album, "Barter 16," had been compromised by an online leak of several of its tracks. In June, the 28-year-old star released their third full-length album, "Pink Tape," and before that headlined the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia.
