YouTuber Jack Doherty arrested for drug possession after blocking Miami Beach traffic for social media video, police say

YouTuber and social media influencer Jack Doherty was arrested for drug possession and other charges in Miami Beach after he was found disrupting traffic to allegedly film social media content, police said.

Miami Beach Police announced that the 22-year-old was taken into custody early Saturday on multiple charges, including possessing amphetamine and marijuana, along with resisting an officer without violence.

“The Miami Beach Police Department remains steadfast in its commitment to maintain public safety and order throughout the city—regardless of celebrity status,” the agency said. “The Department will continue to take proactive enforcement action against behavior that endangers residents, visitors, or officers and will hold all individuals accountable under the law.”

According to his bio on Delka Talents, his talent agency, Doherty has over 3.2 million YouTube subscribers and over 500 million YouTube views. Doherty is best known for filming “daredevil” stunts and pranks, and his most-watched video has over 18 million views as of March 2018, his bio said.

CBS News Miami has reached out to Doherty’s representatives for comment on his arrest.   

An influencer blocks traffic for the sake of “content”

Around 3:12 a.m. Saturday, Miami Beach Police officers were conducting a high-visibility detail along the 700 block of Washington Avenue within the city’s Entertainment District, when a group of individuals entered the roadway from the east sidewalk into the northbound lanes. A man from the group — later identified as Doherty — separated from them and attempted to engage officers to “create video content, positioning himself in the middle of the roadway with passing vehicular traffic and creating a significant safety hazard,” according to arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami.

Miami Beach Police officers began issuing multiple commands to direct Doherty to exit the roadway, but he refused. Even after his group urged him to comply, he continued refusing officers’ commands.

Officers continued, warning Doherty that failure to comply would result in his arrest. Still, the influencer continued to refuse commands and told them, “Once I’m done with this bet,” the arrest documents said. At this moment, Miami Beach Police safely apprehended Doherty in the middle of the road due to his “deliberate refusal to follow lawful orders and continued to obstruct traffic.”

According to arrest documents, while officers searched Doherty’s person, they found “half of an orange oval-shaped pill with 3 imprinted on it, consistent with a Schedule II amphetamine, as well as a black plastic container holding three hand-rolled suspected cannabis cigarettes weighing approximately 4.0 grams combined.”

After a records check that showed no active warrants, officers took Doherty to Miami Beach Police’s holding facility for booking and contacted an after-hours attorney for charging guidance.