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The man who attacked Dave Chappelle on stage at a Los Angeles comedy show now faces attempted murder charges after the confrontation led officials in Los Angeles to discover that he was the suspect in another crime.
Isaiah Lee, 23, was charged with attempted murder Thursday for allegedly stabbing his roommate back in December at a “transitional housing program” generally reserved for homeless indivduals.
DA George Gascon’s office is crediting the publicity surrounding Lee’s attack on Chappelle with helping the victim identify his alleged attacker.
‘The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,’ said Gascón in a statement. ‘The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl was misdemeanor conduct and rightfully referred to the City Attorney’s Office. Based on the nature and severity of the December attack, Mr. Lee is now facing felony charges which my office will prosecute.’
Lee pleaded not guilty to the stabbing charge. He is scheduled to return to court on June 2.
Isaiah Lee, 23, has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly stabbing his roommate back in December
Lee had previously allegedly jumped on stage and tried to attack Dave Chappelle, who was able to sidestep his attacker and avoid injury. Lee had been carrying a knife and inside a replica gun
According to Gascon, Lee stabbed his roommate during a fight at a ‘transitional housing apartment,’ ABC7 reported. The victim had reported the attack to cops but could not initially identify Lee as the one who had done it.
Lee had initially pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor counts at his arraignment on Friday, during which the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office declined to issue felony charges in the incident with Chappelle.
He faces just 18 months in jail if convicted of that charge.
Lee, ran on stage at the Hollywood Bowl wielding a knife that was hidden inside a replica gun as he attempted to tackled Chappelle, 48.
The comedian was able to sidestep Lee and was unharmed. The attacker was then arrested at the scene, and taken to hospital with a broken arm.
Lee, 23, was slapped with four misdemeanor crimes including 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. He faces 18 months in count jail if convicted.
Lee suffered a broken arm after security arrested him and took him off stage
At Friday’s court hearing, Lee’s attorney said the the man never brandished his concealed weapon at any time when he stormed the stage.
Lee is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Friday, May 20.
Chappelle has not yet publicly reacted to the decision, but during a comedy show on Thursday night, the comedian revealed that he has spoken with the attacker.
Chappelle said that he asked police whether he could speak to Lee, who had stormed onto the stage holding a replica gun with a knife attached. Police granted him access to a room where he was being held.
‘I needed to talk to him,’ Chappelle told his audience at LA’s Comedy Store’s secret 70-chair room the Belly Room on Thursday night, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Chappelle said that the attack was down to Lee’s grandmother from Brooklyn, who was forced out of her neighborhood because of gentrification, and the stunt was meant to draw attention to the issue.
He joked about the situation alongside fellow comedian Chris Rock, who was slapped by Will Smith during the Oscars ceremony, stating: ‘At least you got smacked by someone of repute! I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.’
Chappelle also joked that his attacker was a transgender man, a reference to his Netflix special The Closure which sparked fury over his gags about transgender people and support for JK Rowling.
The author has been castigated for insisting that transgender women should not be given access to some single-sex spaces including changing rooms and women’s prisons for safety reasons.
Shortly after the incident, Chapelle said via a representative that he did not want the incident to ‘overshadow’ a great event, referencing his Netflix comedy show.
‘Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl….and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.’
‘As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,’ his rep said.
Netflix and the Hollywood Bowl said they were cooperating with the police investigation into what happened.
The 23-year-old was taken into custody at the event, then was taken to the hospital. He is now in jail
This is the weapon Lee had when he tried and attack Chappelle on stage
Lee faces only misdemeanor charges over the attack after Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said he would not pursue felony charges against him.
Gascon’s office – which is famously in favor of low-or-no-cash-bonds – chose not to pursue the most serious line of punishment over the concealed weapon.
Instead, they have referred the case to the LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, recommending a misdemeanor charge because ‘the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct,’ according to ABC.
When announcing the charges on Thursday, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer seemed to throw shade at the DA, saying ‘My office takes protecting public safety extremely seriously.’
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon (pictured) failed not pursue felony charges against Lee, who now only faces misdemeanor charges for the attack on Chappelle
Lee, 23, was slapped with four misdemeanor crimes including 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. He faces 18 months in count jail if convicted and a $4,000 fine.
However, he may get away with a far lighter penalty if convicted which could be in the form of treatment or some kind of educational class.
Lee appeared in court with a bandaged arm in a sling as he pleaded not guilty. He is currently being held on $30,000 bail.
A judge also ordered Lee to stay at least 100 yards away from Chapelle, any venue where he is performing and from his residence, as well as to stay 100 yards away from the Hollywood Bowl.
