A 23-year-old man accused of attacking comedian Dave Chappelle during a performance was charged on Thursday with four misdemeanour criminal counts after the city's district attorney declined to bring more serious charges. Isaiah Lee, who was subdued after tackling Chappelle, 48, to the stage floor on Tuesday evening, was charged by the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office with battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault and two other misdemeanour counts."This alleged attack has got to have consequences," City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a videotaped message.
Feuer announced the misdemeanour charges just hours after the city's top prosecutor, District Attorney George Gascon, declined to prosecute Lee. A spokesman for Gascon said a review of the evidence did not show felony conduct. Under California law a misdemeanour carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail. In Los Angeles, Feuer's office prosecutes misdemeanours while the district attorney is responsible for felony cases.Police say Chappelle was performing at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday when Lee rushed at the comedian, knocking him to the ground. Lee was subdued near the back of the stage as he sought to flee. Chappelle returned to the stage after a short break, unscathed from Tuesday's attack and went on with the show, ad-libbing jokes about the incident and about what happened to the suspect, who was seen being chased down onstage by security personnel. He did not appear to be injured. Chappelle said it was fortunate his assailant was "clumsy," adding, "He's back there getting stomped," according to video footage of the altercation posted online by the celebrity news website TMZ.com.
The performer's representatives said on Wednesday that he was fully cooperating with the police investigation. As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show," his spokesperson, Carla Sims, said in a statement on Wednesday, crediting Chris Rock and fellow comedian-actor Jamie Foxx with helping to "calm the crowd. "The attack on Chappelle occurred Tuesday night during a sold-out appearance by the Emmy-winning entertainer as part of an 11-day Netflix is a Joke festival, featuring many of the leading names in stand-up comedy.