“A famous comedian was performing at the Hollywood Bowl. He had finished his play and while leaving the stage, a man who was part of the audience jumped on stage and brought down (d) this celebrity to the ground, “said LAPD spokeswoman Lizette Lomelli.
The 23-year-old suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and taken to hospital for treatment, Lomelli said. The victim “did not suffer as a result of the crime,” she said.
The weapon was a knife blade, Lomelli said.
Los Angeles police officer Rosario Cervantes told CNN that the suspect had a knife that was a copy of a pistol.
The motive for the apparent attack remains unclear.
It was also unclear whether Chappelle had submitted an official police report.
Chappelle participated in “Netflix is a Joke: The Festival”.
Jed Simon, a member of the audience who was on the show, told CNN that Chappelle was finishing his set and preparing to perform a musical act when a man went on stage and dealt with a comedian.
Simon said he was sitting in the third row enjoying the show with his friends when he witnessed the incident.
“Someone in front of us just got on stage. I was like, “What the hell is going on?” He came straight from the audience. ” Simon told CNN. “The next thing I know, he threw himself at Dave and knocked him down quite aggressively. I was like what’s going on?”
CNN correspondent Rachel Crane was also in the audience, describing bedlam after the attack.
According to Crane, the suspect had a backpack. He was dragged on stage right where he was subdued when Chappelle said, “Don’t do this on stage, take it off.”
CNN requested comment from representatives of Chappelle, Netflix and the festival. CNN also contacted the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Hollywood Bowl for more information.
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