Dave Chappelle’s alleged attacker arrested for attempted murder in earlier stabbing case

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Twenty-three-year-old Isaiah Lee, the man still behind bars after being charged with tackling Dave Chappelle onstage, has been slapped with an attempted murder charge. 

However, controversial Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today the charge wasn’t related to Lee’s alleged assault of the comedian earlier this month.

Gascón on Thursday says a man who had been stabbed in December identified Lee, his former roommate, as his attacker. “The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,” he noted.

Lee was found to have had a gun-shaped knife when the alleged attack of Chappelle happened, but the LA DA’s Office, which has been under fire for what critics see as Gascón’s soft on crime policies, didn’t charge Lee with any felonies. Instead, he was charged with four misdemeanors, for which he recently pleaded not guilty, and a judge refused to reduce his $30,000 bail and release him.

Gascón added of Thursday’s new charge, “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.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *