Twitch Streamer Kai Cenat Charged with Inciting to Riot after NYC Melee
Twitch Streamer Kai Cenat Released From Police Custody ... After Felony 'Riot' Charge
Twitch streamer Kai Cenat sidestepped a night behind bars after he was hit with three criminal charges for allegedly causing a violent melee at his PlayStation giveaway gathering in NYC.
Kai was issued a desk appearance ticket for felony riot and misdemeanor inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, before getting released from a Manhattan police precinct Friday night.
Video showed Kai dashing out of the stationhouse with his security and jumping into the back of an SUV, which sped away.
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The DAT, as it's commonly called, did not require Kai to go through the criminal justice system and spend the night in jail at Central Booking. Instead, Kai was provided a court date to appear before a judge to address the charges.
As we reported, Kai announced on his Twitch channel he was giving away PlayStation 5 consoles and gift cards in Union Square at 4 PM Friday.
Thousands of people showed up to snag the freebies, igniting total chaos in the streets, although it's not clear what sparked the mayhem. Rioters attacked people, damaged cop cars, destroyed food carts and stores, and hurled bottles and rocks.
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An army of NYPD officers quickly responded and spent the next 3 hours squashing the violence before finally restoring order. Kai was among 65 attendees taken into police custody.
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A bunch of officers and civilians suffered injuries, which were not life threatening.