Influencer and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat was detained by the NYPD and charged with two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly after he drew thousands of fans to Union Square on Friday afternoon.
Kai’s plan was to give away free Playstations to his fans, but it was pure chaos – sparking a massive police response.
In a Friday evening briefing, Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said the New York Police Department made 65 arrests and 30 of those arrests are juveniles.
Maddrey said Kai Cenat’s giveaway was “unpermitted” and “not sanctioned” and quickly drew thousands of young people.
When officers who were wearing riot gear arrived on the scene and attempted to resume order, the young people allegedly attacked officers rather than complying with their orders to leave.
“I had thousands of kids out there, I needed thousands of parents,” Maddrey said. “When it gets to the point where it’s disorderly, we want the parents to come and take control.”
“We were crushed, we were pushed,” Maddrey said.
The massive crowd caused the park and surrounding areas to become overcrowded.
People were seen running through the streets, jumping on cars, and a city bus.
Some people took objects from a construction site in Union Square, including plywood, shovels and axes, according to Maddrey.
A bus that was holding people in custody was attacked by others who tried to pull the detained individuals off the bus.
Kai Cenat shared the news coverage via social media and urged his fans to “Please be safe.”
“I love you guys to the fullest you guys are amazing,” he said.
His words clearly fell on blind eyes and deaf ears.
Kai was taken into custody on Friday afternoon.
He was later released around 12:15 a.m. on Saturday with a desk appearance ticket.
He didn’t have to post bail, but he will have to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court for arraignment on misdemeanor charges of inciting a riot.
In true content creator form, Kai has already released a video about the mayhem and it’s garnered over 1 million views.
Kai Cenat is trending on Twitter as people react to his arrest, the charges, and the chaos from his giveaway.
Read a few tweets below.
This is how I feel….
Let me know your thoughts on Kai Cenat and his chaotic giveaway in the comments below or join the convo on our socials. (Facebook, Instagram)
