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Mom whose arrested son allegedly punched cop in face amid riot at Kai Cenat giveaway actually blames 'society' for lawlessness, says 'you cannot blame parents'
Image source: YouTube screenshot

Mom whose arrested son allegedly punched cop in face amid riot at Kai Cenat giveaway actually blames 'society' for lawlessness, says 'you cannot blame parents'

A mother whose 19-year-old son was arrested after allegedly punching a police officer in the face amid a riot at social media influencer Kai Cenat's giveaway Friday in New York City actually blamed "society'" for the lawlessness and added that "you cannot blame parents."

What are the details?

Fox News reported that mother Stacy Lucas, who was speaking to the New York Daily News, rejected Mayor Eric Adams' declaration following the riot that parents were to blame for it.

Instead, Lucas said police and society were to blame, Fox News added.

"You cannot blame parents. This is the blame of society, of people who use their guns to harm rather than protect," Lucas said. "For you to sit there and throw stones, get your crooked cops in order."

More from Fox News:

Chaos broke out in Union Square Friday after Twitch influencer Kai Cenat announced he was holding a PlayStation giveaway, resulting in an estimated 2,000 kids and teenagers showing up for a chance to win the coveted game console.

The event soon spiraled into mayhem, with some allegedly throwing fireworks and other objects into crowds and assaulting officers. Dozens were arrested, and Cenat was charged with inciting a riot and unlawful assembly.

Lucas’ son, Angel John, 19, was among those taken into custody and was charged with assault unlawful assembly, the NYPD told Fox News Digital. He is accused of punching an officer in the face, according to the New York Daily News.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Adams said parents were to blame for the violence and lawlessness, not police, Fox News said.

"This is not a policing issue, [it] is a parenting issue," Adams said over the weekend, according to the cable network. "And we need to be clear on that. Police is the response after an incident happened. But this should be a proactive approach."

Fox News said Adams also asked, "And I wonder with the thousands of children who were there hurling dangerous objects at police officers, disrespecting the residents in the area, attacking each other? How many parents text their children?"

Lucas told the Daily News that Adams' words were "disrespectful" and that "kids are going to be kids," Fox News noted.

The cable network, citing the Daily News, reported that Angel John said he and his 18-year-old brother were walking around Union Square after a family tragedy and stumbled across the giveaway: "My brother likes Kai Cenat, I like Kai Cenat, so we wanted to see what was going on."

John said the crowd was under control until police arrived, Fox News reported.

John added that he was separated from his brother during the riot, and an officer allegedly prevented him from looking for him, the cable network added.

"[The officer] grabs me, and I said, 'Don’t touch me.' I went into the park, he pushes me, and I push him back. He throws his hands, and I throw my hands back to protect myself," John told the Daily News, according Fox News.

John reportedly was left with a swollen rib and foot and cuts on his knees after other officers came to assist in his arrest, the cable network said.

"They picked me up, they had me in my drawers, they were not pulling my pants up," John said, according to Fox News. "I had to kick them and do extra stuff so that I can try to get my sneakers" after they came off his feet.

Lucas said, "They put their hands on my kids, not one but two of them, of course he’s going to feel threatened," according to Fox News, which added that she said none of her seven children had previous run-ins with the law.

The cable network, citing the Daily News, said John was released on his own recognizance Saturday.

Union Square chaos: NYPD search for more suspectsyoutu.be

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Dave Urbanski

Dave Urbanski

Sr. Editor, News

Dave Urbanski is a senior editor for Blaze News.
@DaveVUrbanski →