The man who charged at Dave Chappelle on stage earlier this month has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly knifed his room-mate.
The 48-year-old star was tackled to the ground as he performed at the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival earlier this month. Footage shared online showed a man in a black hoodie rushing toward the stage and pushing the comic before being stopped by security guards and members of the star's team. Police later confirmed that they were holding Isaiah Lee in custody. The 23-year-old now faces an attempted murder charge regarding a separate incident.
Lee is accused of stabbing his room-mate during a fight at a transitional housing residence in December 2021 and the victim reported the incident to police, identifying Lee as his attacker shortly after the incident with Chappelle.
According to Los Angeles County district attorney George Gascón, the stabbing victim recognised Lee from the coverage of Chappelle’s attack and the police used that information to track him down.
Lee has reportedly pleaded not guilty and will appear in court at the beginning of next month.
The attempted murder charge comes just weeks after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that after the incident during Chappelle's show, Lee had been charged with battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorised access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays an event or interferes with a performer.
Chappelle previously insisted he wouldn't let the “unfortunate and unsettling” attack overshadow his history-making Hollywood Bowl show.
His spokesperson said: “This run ties Chappelle with ‘Monty Python’ for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70 000 fans of diverse backgrounds during the first ‘Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival’, and he refuses to allow last night's incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.
Chappelle went on with the show after the incident.