Famous comedian and prominent Twitch content creator, Kai Cenat, caused quite a stir when he made a surprise announcement about an exciting opportunity for his devoted followers.
The event took place at 4 p.m. in the bustling Union Square, leading to an unexpected surge of people gathering to the location. Law enforcement authorities found themselves grappling with the task of managing the overwhelming influx of individuals, both within the park and on the nearby roads.
Chaos ensued in the heart of New York City as a giveaway centered around a popular video game prompted an unprecedented scene in Union Square Park. The incident, which occurred on a Friday, witnessed an immense gathering of hopeful participants who had their sights set on winning big.
The phenomenon unfolded around 3 p.m. as word of the giveaway spread like wildfire, prompting an influx of thousands of attendees to converge upon Union Square.
Chief Jeffrey Maddrey of the New York Police Department shared the ordeal during a press conference held on Friday.
“The situation escalated as numerous individuals flocked to Union Square, exhibiting behavior that impeded both the movement of vehicles and people. In response to repeated warnings, and in the face of aggression involving projectiles such as rocks, bottles, and other objects, our law enforcement personnel initiated arrests in order to restore order and clear the premises,” Chief Maddrey stated.
Kai Cenat himself contributed to the narrative by sharing ABC7’s aerial footage of the gathering through an Instagram story, providing a unique vantage point of the events that transpired. Despite the efforts to regain control, the exact tally of detentions or injuries remained elusive from the New York Police Department’s perspective, as of Friday night.
The upheaval reached a crescendo as teenagers among the attendees expressed their fervor through vocal outbursts and physical actions.
Objects were hurled at car windows, paint cans were launched, and fire extinguishers were set off, painting a vivid picture of the pandemonium that took hold. Some individuals even went as far as clambering onto moving vehicles, a daring act that sometimes ended in falls as the vehicles sped away.
City buses weren’t spared either, as some people pounded on them or took to climbing on top of them. The law enforcement response led to the apprehension of at least 65 individuals, including a group of 30 juveniles.
Tragedy was narrowly averted, as three officers sustained injuries in the midst of the chaotic scenes. Two of these officers required medical attention and were transported to a nearby hospital, with one officer nursing a fractured hand.
In addition to these law enforcement injuries, four civilians found themselves harmed as well. Chief Maddrey recounted a particular incident involving a 17-year-old who was initially thought to have suffered a gunshot wound, but was later determined to have been injured by a firework.
The incident casts a shadow over Kai Cenat’s online presence, as his history on Twitch reveals a temporary ban on five separate occasions.
