Influencer faces charges after chaotic NYC giveaway

Kai Cenat, a popular livestreamer on the American online streaming platform Twitch, will face multiple charges after a giveaway event he hosted Friday in New York City's Manhattan erupted into chaos, said local police.

Cenat will be charged with multiple counts of inciting a riot, unlawful assembly and possibly other crimes, New York City Police Department chief Jeffrey Maddrey said at a Friday night news conference.

Cenat, who has more than 9 million followers combined on Twitch and other social media platforms, said Wednesday during a Twitch stream that he would be hosting a "huge giveaway" Friday at 4pm local time (2000 GMT) in Manhattan's Union Square, which would include video game consoles, computers, microphones, keyboards, webcams, gaming chairs, headphones and other items from a truck.

"I feel like New York really deserves it," he said.

However, the event grew out of control well before its scheduled start time, with the crowd size climbing to a "couple thousand people" and individuals beginning to "commit acts of violence toward the police and the public," said Maddrey.

People started "walking around with shovels, axes, and other tools" taken from a nearby construction site, he said, adding that "individuals were also lighting fireworks, throwing them toward the police. They were throwing them toward each other."

Maddrey said a number of young people in the crowd and several police officers were injured.

The police chief said that 65 people were arrested, and 30 of them were juveniles.

Cenat was eventually pulled out from the massive crowd by police officers and seen speaking to several officials.

A police spokesperson confirmed the influencer was in law enforcement custody.

The commotion prompted the highest level of police mobilization by the New York Police Department. According to the spokesperson, the department called on an estimated 1,000 officers to respond to the situation.