Chappelle attacked: LA County DA won’t charge as a felony, refers misdemeanor case to city attorney

Isaiah Lee, 23, was arrested for assault with a lethal weapon after tackling the comic Tuesday night time on the Hollywood Bowl.

Lee is being held on $30,000 bail. It is unclear what motivated Lee to run onto the stage.

The county district lawyer’s workplace referred the case to the Los Angeles lawyer for doable misdemeanor fees as an alternative. County prosecutors decided that whereas felony conduct occurred, “the proof as offered didn’t represent felony conduct.”

Police mentioned Lee was armed with a duplicate handgun-knife when he ran onto the stage and tackled Chappelle. Witness video reveals Chappelle falling again however he managed to rapidly free himself as safety rushed out to seize the attacker.

In accordance with ABC Information, Chappelle and the person tussled on the stage ground. Safety employees surrounded and tackled the person within the rear nook of the stage.

Chappelle appeared to run towards the altercation, saying the person was being “stomped” and requested repeatedly for safety to take away the person from the stage.

He was performing his stand-up routine on the final of 4 nights on the amphitheater as a part of the “Netflix Is a Joke” pageant in the course of the assault. Jamie Foxx was within the wings of the stage and Chappelle thanked him for responding to the assault. Chris Rock was there as nicely. He grabbed the mic and jokingly requested, “Was that Will Smith?”

Chappelle was wrapping up a routine through which he talked about how comedians have to fret extra about their private safety within the wake of this yr’s Academy Awards ceremony the place the Oscar-winning actor slapped Rock on stay tv in response to a joke about his spouse.

A spokesperson for Chappelle issued an announcement Wednesday, calling the incident “unlucky and unsettling” however saying he refuses to let it overshadow the record-breaking efficiency on the Hollywood Bowl.

He’s cooperating with the police investigation into the incident.

A spokesperson for Netflix additionally issued a quick assertion: “We care deeply concerning the security of creators and we strongly defend the correct of stand-up comedians to carry out on stage with out concern of violence.”

The comic was not injured within the assault and later joked with the viewers about it.

ABC Information and the Related Press contributed to this report.