"If you were in my shoes": Twitch streamer Nickmercs recounts the times he got swatted

Many internet personalities face the dangers of simply existing on the internet, and Nickmercs is no different. From being stalked and being on the receiving end of hate crimes to even being hunted down and physically harmed, those that publically post their face and earn their livelihoods on the internet are generally aware that they are susceptible to these aggressions.

American Twitch streamer and YouTuber Nicholas "Nickmercs" recently revealed the number of times he had been subjected to swatting. The term refers to a criminal harassment tactic used by pranksters to send a swarm of police officers to a location to 'swat' an individual or site.

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Nickmercs talks about his experiences with being swatted

Nickmercs was clipped on April 23, suddenly declaring a very shocking statement:

"You know, I get swatted three times a f***ing week."

As it turned out, the shocking answer was not completely unprompted. Prior to the statement, viewers were spamming the chat and requesting their streamer to do a cooking stream with Emu (Emumita Bonita is Nick's wife). He then explained his reasoning to his viewers so that they would understand why he personally chooses to not mesh his offline and online lives:

"I just want you to understand that if you were in my shoes, you wouldn't want to put your people up on the screen that often either. You just wouldn't want to do it. It's not a very great feeling."

Nick urged his viewers to not pity him but rather empathize with him. He also implied that he refused to let people get away with their crimes and has already put those that sent police raids his way behind bars:

"We already put two people in jail, and I'm getting ready to make another round."

It doesn't seem to be an exaggeration on the content creator's end either. Nick has been tweeting about his swatting experiences in the past, and it's clear that it is an imminent issue that continues to persist in his life.

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Fans react

Viewers on the livestream reacted to Nickmercs' retelling of the incident. There was a general consensus that he was not at fault for being swatted, but it was the "weirdos" of the internet that subjected him to cruel harassment tactics.

Long-time fans seemed surprised that their streamer was still being swatted, possibly with the knowledge that he had been swatted in the past. But as per usual, justice is served to those who commit illegal and heinous crimes, and one fan was ecstatic that Nick was "filling jails with haters."

Chat reacts to Nickmercs' stream (Image via Twitch)

While it is unclear what actions Twitch has taken to protect Nick and other streamers from being unlawfully subjected to swatting over and over again, the streamer has made his own precautions and actions to protect his loved ones very clear.