Auckland livestreamer stopped by armed police after swatting report, Digi Mart USA News (Auckland, New Zealand): Kiwi livestreamer Benny Mack was stopped by armed police in downtown Auckland yesterday afternoon after authorities received a report that he was armed and planning a shooting.
Footage taken by Mack and shared online shows police approaching him as he rode an e-scooter along Auckland’s Quay Street. The video shows Mack, a popular streamer on Kick.com, noticing police around him before realising they were there for him.
“Oh s**t,” he says, once he knows police are stopping for him. “Ah f***, yeah, I’m getting swatted.” “I’m a livestreamer, I think some guy is swatting me,” he tells police as they approach him.
“Swatting” is the act of making a malicious and false statement to police to provoke an aggressive response targeting a specific individual. After confirming that Mack had no weapon on him, an officer told him: “It’s all good, mate, we’ll leave you to it, enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Someone in my chat called the cops on me, basically,” Mack then told a passerby. The livestreamer told police a viewer had made a false police report.
A witness told the Herald that about five police cars were in attendance.
Police said an investigation into the initial report was ongoing. “Police were called to Quay St at 12.47pm following a report a person was in possession of a firearm.
Given the information received, armed staff quickly attended and located the male. No firearm was found, and there is no ongoing risk to the public.”
