Dave Chappelle’s Alleged Attacker Faces 4 Misdemeanor Charges
THE CLOSER
The self-styled rapper accused of tackling comedian Dave Chappelle mid-performance on Tuesday night will now face four misdemeanor charges over the incident. Hours after the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office declined to file felony charges on Thursday, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced that his office would “vigorously prosecute” alleged assailant Isaiah Lee. What was otherwise “an evening of laughter at the Hollywood Bowl,” as Feuer put it in a video posted to social media, was “suddenly interrupted” by Lee. Previous reports said the 23-year-old had brandished a plastic replica gun containing a knife blade as he approached Chappelle, but sources told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that it actually remained in Lee’s bag the whole time. In his video, Feuer said that his office had filed “charges alleging battery, possession of a weapon with the intent to assault, and charges related to interfering with a performance” against Lee. “My office takes protecting public safety extremely seriously,” Feuer, also a mayoral candidate, said, “and we're going to vigorously prosecute this case.”