Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night by a man who tackled him during his performance.
Footage from AIR7 HD captured the apparent attacker on a gurney and being loaded into an ambulance to be taken to a hospital.
Witnesses at the show took to social media, saying that the man rushed the stage and tackled Chappelle.
According to ABC News, Chappelle and the man tussled on the stage floor before the man ran away behind a screen on stage. Security staff surrounded and tackled the man in the rear corner of the stage.
Chappelle appeared to run toward the altercation, saying the man was being "stomped." Chappelle asked repeatedly for security to remove the man from stage.
Comedian Chris Rock, who performed earlier in the night, came on stage with Chappelle moments after the attack and joked: "Was that Will Smith?"
Los Angeles police confirmed to Eyewitness News that they responded to an incident at the Hollywood Bowl around 10:45 p.m. and a man who was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife was taken into custody.
It appears Chappelle was uninjured from the attack, and video posted to social media showed him continuing with the show.
Chappelle, 48, was performing as part of the Netflix Is A Joke Fest.
Dave Chappelle tackled by man who rushed the stage during performance at Hollywood Bowl
Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night by a man who tackled him during his performance.
Dave Chappelle attacked by man who rushed the stage during comedian's…
archived 4 May 2022 09:30:12 UTC
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Dave Chappelle’s attacker hit with four misdemeanors after DA’s office declines to file felony charge
The district attorney’s office referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for consideration after declining to file felony charges
The man who allegedly attacked Dave Chappelle during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday will not face felony charges despite carrying a replica pistol with a folding knife blade affixed to it, and has been hit with four misdemeanor charges.L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer hit Lee with four misdemeanor crimes which include battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance, and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer.
"My office takes protecting public safety extremely seriously, and we are going to vigorously prosecute this case," Feuer said in a video.
It’s unclear what a potential penalty would be. Fox News Digital has reached out to the city attorney’s office for comment.
Earlier on Thursday, it was revealed that Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s office declined to file felony charges against Isaiah Lee, 23, who was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after he tackled Chappelle.
"The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for misdemeanor filing consideration," Greg Risling, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, told Fox News Digital in a statement Thursday.
"After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct. The District Attorney’s Office does not prosecute misdemeanor crimes within the City of Los Angeles."
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Lee is still being held on $30,000 bail.
Sources told the Los Angeles Times that Lee did not appear to brandish the weapon during his assault on Chappelle. And the weapon was inside a bag Lee was carrying, prompting prosecutors to eliminate a deadly weapon charge.
An investigation to determine how Lee not only made his way into the Bowl with the weapon but how he got to the front of the stage before charging Chappelle is ongoing.
"Anyone who arms themselves with a deadly weapon, in this case a knife, and violently attacks an innocent person, famous or not, should be charged accordingly," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami told Fox News Digital.
"With only a misdemeanor charge, the person could be released soon, with only a slap on the wrist. That fails to provide justice to the victim, accountability for this person's actions and safety to the general public. These concepts, however, like public safety and justice, that most of us value, are concepts George Gascón can care less about."
After Chappelle was attacked during his gig at the "Netflix Is A Joke" festival Tuesday evening, comedy club owners say they "stand by" Chappelle but are urging the public to "protect our comics."
Chappelle doubled down on a joke that the attacker "was a trans man," a reference to his recent schism with the community after many called Chappelle transphobic for his jokes during his Netflix stand-up special "The Closer."
Chris Rock also appeared on the stage after Chappelle was attacked and joked, "Was that Will Smith?"
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