Dave Chappelle Attacker Sentenced for Tackling Comedian at Hollywood Bowl

Dave Chappelle Attacker (Credit: Shutterstock/YouTube)

The man who attacked Dave Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl in May, pleaded no contest on Thursday, Dec. 15, and was sentenced to 270 days in county jail, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

Isaiah Lee, 24, entered his plea to one misdemeanor count each of battery and entering a restricted area during a live event.

The LAPD said Lee rushed the stage on May 3, 2022, while Chappelle was performing as part of the “Netflix Is A Joke” comedy festival. Police said Lee was armed with a replica handgun that contained a retractable knife blade.

Related Story: Dave Chappelle Attack Suspect Speaks Out From Jail: I Was ‘Triggered’ by His Jokes

Video posted on Twitter by fans showed Chappelle being thrown to the floor during his performance. Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx and Hollywood Bowl security staff rushed to subdue the suspect. Chappelle was not injured. Lee was left bloodied and bruised from the scuffle with security.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón declined to file criminal charges against Lee, because he didn’t brandish the weapon during the attack.

The city attorney’s office then picked up the case, and filed misdemeanor charges.

In a jailhouse interview with the New York Post, Lee said Chappelle’s jokes about transgender people and the homeless were “triggering.”

After the attack, Lee was arrested and jailed on $30,000 bail in connection with the unrelated stabbing of his roommate during a dispute at a transitional housing facility in December 2021.

He pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the stabbing case, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.


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About Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the editor and founder of Urban Hollywood 411. She can be reached on Twitter @tvanita.