Linux Dev Swatted and Handcuffed Live During a Development Video Stream — Perps Remain Unidentified
16th September 2024
Two days ago, tech streamer and host of Code Therapy René Rebe was streaming one of many T2 Linux (his own custom distribution) development sessions from his office in Germany when he abruptly had to remove his microphone and walk off camera due to the arrival of police officers. The officers subsequently cuffed him and took him to the station for an hour of questioning, a span of time during which the stream continued to run until he made it back.
René Rebe and fans of his work can only guess what motivated this incident. Unfortunately, the police seemingly have no idea who did it and acted based on a tip sent with an email. Finding the perpetrators could take a while, and options will be fairly limited if they don’t also live in Germany.
Our world–and welcome to it.