L.A. prosecutors will not bring felony charges for attack on comedian Chappelle
2022.05.05 23:56
FILE PHOTO: Actor Dave Chappelle arrives for the press conference to promote the film A Star is Born at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, September 9, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Los Angeles prosecutors said on Thursday they would not file felony charges against the man accused of attacking comedian Dave Chappelle onstage.
The Los Angeles District Attorneys office said in a written statement that it would instead refer the case against 23-year-old Isaiah Lee to the city attorney’s office for possible misdemeanor charges.
“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,” a spokesman said in the statement.
Chappelle, 48, was tackled to the ground on Tuesday night during an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl arena by a suspect who had in his possession a replica handgun containing a knife blade.
The comedian appeared to emerge unscathed and went on with the show, ad-libbing jokes about the incident.
