Politics
Shock pics of Isaiah Lee’s fake gun and blade used in Dave Chappelle attack as suspect is charged with multiple crimes
THE man who allegedly attacked comedian Dave Chappelle has been charged with multiple crimes by the Los Angeles City Attorney, Mike Feuer.
Isaiah Lee has been charged with battery and possession of a weapon with intent to assault for charging at Chapelle with a prop gun that had a blade attached.
LAPDA photo from the LAPD shows the weapon that the suspect allegedly had during the attack[/caption]
Dave Chappelle’s attacker has been identified as Isaiah Lee, 23AP:Associated Press
Footage shared online showed the moment Lee rushed onto the stage before tackling the comedianTwitter
A man, believed to be Lee, was seen being transported into an ambulance after Chappelle was attacked on stageReuters
Lee was also hit with unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer charges.
All of the charges are misdemeanors, which carry lighter punishments upon conviction compared to a felony.
“What should have been an evening of laughter at the Hollywood Bowl this past Tuesday night was suddenly interrupted when suspect Isaiah Lee allegedly charged onto the stage and tackled comedian Dave Chappelle,” said Feuer in a video.
“The suspect allegedly was carrying a weapon. This alleged attack has got to have consequences… my office takes protecting public safety extremely seriously and we are going to vigorously prosecute this case.”
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Photos of the weapon allegedly carried by the suspect were shared Wednesday by the LAPD.
“An arrest has been made in an incident where a comedian was attacked while onstage at the Hollywood Bowl,” read a tweet from the department’s official Twitter account.
“Isaiah Lee was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon and bail is set at $30,000.”
The knife is attached to the barrel of a gun, similar to a bayonet. The gun was a replica but the knife was real, reported TMZ.
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Lee was taken to the hospital before he was booked early Wednesday into jail on $30,000 bail, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The incident unfolded at the Netflix is a Joke Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in LA on Tuesday evening.
Footage shared online shows the moment Lee rushed onto the stage before tackling Chappelle, 48.
LAPD officials said Lee was armed with a replica gun that ejects a knife.
Security then surrounded the man who ran onto the stage.
Actor Jamie Foxx helped apprehend the alleged attacker.
Chappelle, who wasn’t injured, said: “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.”
Foxx reportedly said: “I thought that was part of the show.”
He added: “Listen, I just want to say…this man is an absolute genius. We’ve got to make sure we protect him at all times.
“For every comedian who comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius. You’re a legend, and we’re not going to let nothing happen to you.”
Funnyman Chris Rock cracked a joke asking if the attacker was Will Smith.
Smith slapped Rock during the Oscars ceremony in March after the comic referenced Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head.
Chappelle claimed to have stomped on the alleged attacker, reportedly boasting: “I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Lee was reportedly subjected to punches and kicks from 10 members of Chappelle’s security once he was caught and tackled to the ground.
Footage showed a man, believed to be Lee, being treated by paramedics for an injured arm before being whisked away to the hospital.
Lee’s motive remains unclear.
In a statement, Chappelle’s publicist said the comedian refuses to let the attack “overshadow” the Hollywood Bowl sets.
“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl.
“This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70k fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival, and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment,” Chapelle’s publicist Carla Sims.
Sims’ said the comedian is fully cooperating with the active police investigation into the incident.
‘CRAZY’ SHOW
Witnesses took to Twitter to speculate following the incident.
One said: “I’m at this Dave Chappelle concert and tell me why some guy ran up and tackled him.”
Another commented: “Just saw someone tackle Dave Chappelle on stage at the Hollywood Bowl then guy got jumped.”
NFL star Marcellus Willey tweeted: “Leaving Dave Chappelle show and some foo ran on stage and just tackled him hard as funk on some Will Smith BS!”
And, funny man Jimmy Carr said the show was “crazy”.
Los Angeles journalist Sharon Carpenter claims the attack sent Chappelle “flying through the air”.
She told the Press Association: “It was a little hard to see because people were standing up at that point and leaving.
“But it looked like someone dashed from the side of the stage, lunged at Dave, and all I saw was Dave basically flying in the air.
“He fell backwards onto his back, with his arms and legs up in the air. He was obviously in shock. We were all in shock.”
Last October, Chappelle sparked outrage for his remarks in his Netflix special The Closer.
He came under fire for making derogatory comments about trans women’s genitals.
He previously said that “gender is a fact”.
Chappelle defended Harry Potter author JK Rowling – who has made numerous controversial remarks about trans people – and said she shouldn’t be “canceled,” along with rapper DaBaby.
RAP BEEF
Lee also made a song about the comedian and the venue where he performed.
The assault suspect who performs under the name “NoName_Trapper” released a track titled “Dave Chappell” in 2020, The Daily Beast reported.
The song’s lyrics include the phrases: “Life with you [N****s] a joke,” and talks about “keys to a boat” and “Walkin’ straight into da Bowl.”
Lee allegedly posted an Instagram story before the attack on Tusday.
The clip shows him seemingly wearing the same shirt he was taken into custody in following the attack.
He appears with a devil horns filter in the soundless clip, which only lasts a few seconds.
Lee’s brother Aaron Lee told Rolling Stone that the rapper has struggled with mental health issues and has been homeless since the age of 11.
Aaron added that Lee has many friends in the transgender community but wouldn’t “lash out” as a form of activism against Chappelle, who is known for controversial comments about the transgender community.
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The suspect’s verified Spotify account says he has three albums and nearly 6,000 monthly listeners.
Some of his other songs are titled “Trump Phone” and “Drugs in LA.”
ReutersLee’s bail was set at $30,000[/caption]
APDave Chappelle was unharmed in the attack and continued the show[/caption]
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