Streamer taken into custody after New York giveaway event gets chaotic

Twitch streamer Kai Cenat has been taken into custody after a giveaway event held in New York city took a turn.

Cenat and another streamer/social media influencer, Fanum, were set to host a giveaway in Union Square, as archived by The Verge. The day arrived, and a massive crowd reportedly showed up today for the event.

Cenat broadcast a video on Twitch, advertising PlayStation 5s and gift cards to give away, before leaving his bus and heading out. Things took a turn though, into what could be described as a “bit of a commotion.” It’s unclear what sparked this turn at this time.

The New York Police Department mobilized with an estimated 1,000 officers, per NBC New York. Several videos caught glimpses of the chaos, ranging from what looks like people spraying fire extinguishers to Cenat apparently being taken into custody.

NYPD later confirmed during a press conference that when the crowd grew too large, they declared it an “unlawful assembly” and began to clear the area. The NYPD chief of police Jeffrey Maddrey said officers filled a bus with arrestees, but did not confirm how many were in custody following the New York giveaway event-gone-south.

A spokesperson confirmed to NBC New York that Cenat and “numerous” other people were in custody. It’s not clear yet if any charges will be filed, though Maddrey did suggest that “inciting a riot” could be considered.

Watch live as NYPD executives brief the media on an ongoing incident in Manhattan. https://t.co/IZfhsMwPiC

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) August 4, 2023

Cenat is a popular streamer who garnered headlines earlier this year for a record of most active subscribers on Twitch, previously held by others like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Ludwig Ahgren.

_{Lead image via CBS News}

Eric Van Allen

Senior Editor – While Eric’s been writing about games since 2014, he’s been playing them for a lot longer. Usually found grinding RPG battles, digging into an indie gem, or hanging out around the Limsa Aethryte.

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