The Truth About IShowSpeed's Swatting Incident Is Anything But Clear
IShowSpeed is quickly becoming one of the most controversial streamers in the game. He gained significant notoriety earlier this year when he was banned from "Valorant" for a sexist rant, yelling at a teammate for speaking to him after a loss. A few months later, Speed got in trouble when his Pokemon fireworks show went horribly wrong – because he decided to light them in his bedroom. In early August, the content creator also came under fire for scaring a kid live on stream, telling him to make good on his side of a bet he likely didn't understand. Now, the streamer has been caught up in a confusing case of swatting, being arrested live on stream and escorted away by police. However, the exact details of the case continue to be anything but clear.
IShowSpeed is permanently banned from Twitch after making threatening comments to an Instagram model on Adin Ross' Twitch show (via Gamerant). Still, the streamer still enjoys a massive following on YouTube, where he has over 10 million subscribers. Clearly, fans enjoy his exaggerated reaction videos and real life antics, but with this manyv iewers comes the potential risk of swatting. Swatting occurs when a viewer alerts police to a potential (usually fake) threat where someone is streaming. The police typically then show up on the stream to search the house, but things don't always go according to routine, and streamers are in a real high stakes situation anytime the police are called. Some streamers, like Amouranth, have been swatted so frequently that they have an understanding with local law enforcement to disregard or quietly answer prank calls, but that wasn't the case with Speed, who was handcuffed live on stream.
Police showed up at IShowSpeed's home
Early in the broadcast, Speed called the police twice. The first time, he allegedly called 911 to ask if he should destroy his PlayStation inside or outside. Then, when he didn't receive an answer, he called back a few minutes later. The person on the other end of the line advised Speed that he shouldn't destroy the console inside, but admitted that they couldn't really do anything to him, as he was on private property. While still talking on the phone, Speed began screaming, pretending that his room was on fire and he needed help. The police didn't arrive at his door until an hour later.
Things began to go sour when Speed looked concerned while glancing offscreen, then walked away from his computer. When he returned, he began fiddling with his computer. The streamer adjusted his settings, saying he didn't like the quality of his camera, before telling his viewers, "Guess who pulled up, chat?" He walked outside, then muted his stream, leaving the camera zoomed in on his chest. After returning inside, the stream shifted to a fake ending screen, which displayed "next up" videos on YouTube.
When Speed eventually returned, he assured chat everything was fine, and that the police didn't arrest him. He quipped he'd gone to Walmart and stolen some things, then the police came to investigate. Speed even claimed the police officer who spoke to him was very nice. From there, the stream continued on as normal, with Speed eventually destroying his PS4 outside, as he'd mentioned earlier in the stream. Although Speed said that the police were there for an unrelated incident, some fans think that they actually responded to something that happened earlier in the stream.
What really happened isn't clear
A clip of the event from a different perspective showed Speed in handcuffs, his friend declaring he'd been swatted. While the audio was vague, the police officer speaking to Speed mentioned his breaking of the PS4 and noting that they knew he was streaming online – a story that seems markedly different from Speed's claims about stealing from Walmart. Eventually, the police made the streamers turn off their cameras.
Viewers were confused about the incident, but some were quick to defend Speed. One argued that Speed couldn't have swatted himself because he simply plays a character online. The viewer alleged that the initial call to 911 was a joke, and Speed was actually calling his friend for a skit. One commenter even explained that 911 does not answer calls unprofessionally, making the case that the call was staged. Later, when the real police showed up (possibly in response to a viewer's call), things got off track. It's unclear if the prank call and swat incident were related, or if Speed ever really called the police in the first place.
The juxtaposition of Speed's encounter with other current events made for ripe memes, though. Hasan Piker playfully tweeted out, "ishowspeed, adin ross and trump raided by law enforcement on the same day. coincidence? i think not." Speed himself has not commented on the incident, and is remaining silent on social media for now.