A man armed with a replica gun that works like a knife
tackled comedian Dave Chappelle as he performed a stand-up set in Los Angeles,
police said.
Video footage circulating on social media shows that as the
comedian was finishing a set during the “Netflix Is A Joke” comedy festival at
the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night, a male audience member climbed on stage and
threw him to the ground.
The attacker then ran behind a screen on stage and was
detained by security guards. Chappelle, 48, has recently attracted protests for
jokes seen to be transphobic but the motive for this attack was not immediately
known. Chappelle was not injured.
The Los Angeles police department confirmed the incident to
AFP and said the assailant was carrying a replica gun that can discharge a
knife blade. It was not clear if the attacker tried to use this weapon.
Video footage shows the attacker being taken away on a
stretcher. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment, LAPD spokeswoman
Lizeth Lomeli said.
Brianna Sacks, a Buzzfeed reporter who said she was at the
show, tweeted that the attacker was set upon by at least 10 people as he was
being detained by security guards.
Chappelle, winner of the 2019 Mark Twain Prize for American
Humor, has been accused of taking particular aim at the transgender community
in his comedy specials, notably in October’s “The Closer,” which drew protests
by activists who said it encouraged discrimination.
In March, US comedian Chris Rock was assaulted by actor Will
Smith on stage at the Oscars for making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett
Smith, moments earlier.
After the assault Tuesday night, Rock, who was appearing at
the same venue, appeared with Chappelle on stage and — according to CNBC and
other news outlets — quipped: “Was that Will Smith?”
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