The outcome of the PlayStation 5 Giveaway Riot at Union Square.
Last August, streamer Kai Cenat organized an illegal PlayStation 5 giveaway in New York’s Union Square, resulting in the creation of a mob and a subsequent riot.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has finally made a decision regarding the riot, which occurred nine months ago on Aug. 4, 2023. Cenat will not face any further charges for the events that transpired in New York last summer, according to reports citing a statement from officials yesterday.
Charges and Restitution Fines.
Cenat was fined $55,000, and two others were ordered to pay restitution fines of slightly more than $1,000 each. The city will utilize the approximately $57,000 obtained to cover event-related damages. Furthermore, Cenat’s public social media apologies, as well as the fact that no fresh arrests were made between today and the date of the disturbance, influenced the Manhattan District Attorney’s decision to drop all charges against the streamer.
The Exciting PS5 Giveaway Event
Cenat’s August 2023 PS5 giveaway in New York’s Union Square swiftly became one of the summer’s busiest and most raucous streaming events. Cenat’s passionate fan following turned out in droves within hours of the streamer posting a video of himself exhibiting a truckload of PS5s and gift cards that he wanted to give away to his followers.
At the end of the day, no one received a PS5 from Cenat because the event was called off by New York police officers before it could begin.
Cenat’s Apology and the Fallout
“It was never my intention for it to get so out of hand, and I have learned a very valuable lesson that social media is a very powerful tool to do good, but it can also cause dangerous unwanted situations if not used properly,” Cenat wrote in his apology, which was posted to his Snapchat story (and will disappear after 24 hours). “I know the Mayor, District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and the New York Police Department are concerned about the safety of NYC residents, and I want to thank them for their committed efforts.”
Charges and consequences
Last summer’s violence left three New York Police Department officers hurt and at least 65 civilians arrested. Cenat was arrested after being escorted away from the scene of the incident by cops shortly after things became out of control.
Cenat had originally been slated to be charged with two counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, according to NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddery via a report from NBC 4 New York made on the day of the riot. However, those allegations were dropped, and the streamer will face no significant criminal consequences.