Comedian Dave Chappelle’s lawyer has told progressive Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón to file felony charges against the man who attacked Chappelle.
Chapelle was attacked by Isaiah Lee while he performed on stage at The Hollywood Bowl. Lee was initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon, as he reached for a fake gun capable of producing a knife blade during the assault. Gascón then announced that his office was not going to press any felony charges against Lee, instead charging him with four misdemeanors, according to Rolling Stone.
“We request that DA Gascón reconsider, correct this mistake and charge this as a felony,” Chappelle’s lawyer Gabriel Colwell told Rolling Stone in another article, “This is what Mr. Chappelle wants. Mr. Chappelle wants this case charged as a felony.” Colwell went on to say that, “Entertainers in Los Angeles need to know that the justice system will protect them on stage.”
Dave Chappelle Breaks His Silence After Being Attacked Onstage https://t.co/tkqLdODE4S
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 6, 2022
“Ten thousand people saw Dave Chappelle assaulted on stage at the Hollywood Bowl last Tuesday night, and the assailant had a deadly weapon on him. The fact that this isn’t charged as a felony case by the DA is insane,” Colwell continued, Rolling Stone noted. (RELATED: Santa Monica Now One Of The ‘Least Safe’ Cities In California, Survey Says)
Gascón is currently facing a significant recall election due to his “soft-on-crime” policies and rising violent crime throughout Los Angeles County, according to Fox News. The DA took office in 2020, and has overseen a 34% increase in homicides, almost 16% increase in violence crime, along with a 67% increase in shooting victims, Fox noted.