The Bobster
Senior News Editor since 2004
Alleged Dave Chappelle attacker Isaiah Lee, 23, booked for felony assault
Isaiah Lee, 23, of Los Angeles, was charged with the shocking caught-on-camera attack of the 48-year-old comedian at Tuesday night’s show at the Hollywood Bowl, the LAPD said.
nypost.com
Alleged Dave Chappelle attacker Isaiah Lee, 23, booked for felony assault
By
Marjorie Hernandez and
Lee Brown
May 4, 2022 10:11am
Updated
Dave Chappelle attacker brought out on stretcher to ambulance after incident
The audience member who tackled Dave Chappelle on stage while armed with a blade-firing fake gun was identified Wednesday as he was booked for felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Isaiah Lee, 23, of Los Angeles, was charged with the shocking caught-on-camera attack of the 48-year-old comedian at Tuesday night’s show at the Hollywood Bowl, the LAPD said.
He had been carrying a replica handgun that had a blade inside, LAPD spokesperson Lizeth Lomeli also confirmed.
Lee was booked just after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and held on $30,000 bail, records show.
He was listed as being 5 feet 10 inches tall and just 140 pounds, and an address given for him matched that of an LA homeless shelter.
He was also hospitalized after security pounced on him, with video showing his arm twisted and apparently snapped.
Footage also showed Chappelle joking about how he “stomped a n—a backstage” after the attack.
[IMG alt="Dave Chappelle's attacker is seen swollen bruised and cuffed to a stretcher as he is taken to a hospital following his attack on the comedian
Chappelle was performing as part of his Netflix is a joke festival when a man came from the audience and tackled him to the ground."]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/05/chappelle-attacker-010.jpg?w=736[/IMG]Isaiah Lee was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.Roger / BACKGRID
Isaiah Lee was hospitalized after security pounced on him. Roger / BACKGRID 
Isaiah Lee was booked for felony assault. Roger / BACKGRIDLee’s motive for the attack remains unclear.
He was caught on camera racing on stage at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival soon after Chappelle had brought up how he needed to beef up security over his controversial comments about the trans community, reporters at the show said.
Chappelle was comforted on stage by Chris Rock, who jokingly referred to his own onstage attack at the Oscars, asking, “Was that Will Smith?”
Hollywood star Jamie Foxx, 54, had also been one of the first to rush onstage.
Isaiah Lee had allegedly been carrying a replica handgun that had a blade inside when he charged Dave Chappelle.Twitter / @abazar“Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat,” Chappelle quipped of the actor’s unusual headgear at the time.
Audience members credited Chapelle’s team for stopping the attack, calling the venue’s security “non-existent.”
“Seemed like Dave’s entourage, security and crew dealt with the situation,” Jed Simon told The Post.
Isaiah Lee allegedly charged the stage at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival just after Dave Chappelle had brought up how he needed to beef up security.Getty Images for NetflixSimon said that Chapelle returned to performing, even as security was still wrangling the attacker on the stage.
“When Dave came back to the mic, he kept saying ‘Get that guy off the stage’ because the attacker was still on the stage being held down by 20 people,” Simon said.
Another audience member, Geoff Witt, told The Post there was “shock and anger” toward the attacker.
The suspect being detained after the onstage attack.DALE EARNHARD via REUTERS“It was just a dumb person trying to do something stupid,” he told The Post. “He somehow got by the initial security.”