Comedian Mike Epps Arrested for Allegedly Striking a Man at a New Orleans Casino
Actor and comedian Mike Epps was arrested after he was accused of hitting a man at a New Orleans casino on Saturday, PEOPLE confirms.
Epps, 46, was taken into custody with 52-year-old Thomas Cobb after the pair allegedly “struck” a man from Virginia at Harrah’s Casino early Saturday, a New Orleans municipal court official tells PEOPLE. (Cobb is a longtime collaborator with Epps.)
The man they allegedly hit said he was in town for the NBA All-Star Game, which was held at the casino, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the New Orleans Advocate.
The incident was described as “a physical altercation” that led to Cobb and Epps being arrested and booked for municipal counts of battery, the court official tells PEOPLE.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Speaking to the Advocate, their alleged victim said he was on his way to cash-out his winnings at around 4 a.m. Saturday when he recognized the Next Friday and Survivor’s Remorse star.
“I said, ‘Oh, Mike Epps!’ ” the man told the Advocate, describing his injuries as “significant.”
“The next thing I know, he started hitting me in the face, unprovoked,” the man claimed to the paper. “I had a handful of chips, so I just basically bent down to protect myself. And then my friends ran over and got in front of me, and then security got there.”
• Pick up PEOPLE’s special edition True Crime Stories: Cases That Shocked America, on sale now, for the latest on Casey Anthony, JonBenét Ramsey and more.
Casino security called police after they allowed Epps and his group to leave, the Advocate reports.
Epps and Cobb were released on $1,000 bail, according to the municipal court clerk official. They both failed to appear in court for their arraignment Tuesday morning and a warrant has been issued for their arrests.
It is unclear at this time whether either man has an attorney. Harrah’s Casino could not be reached about the altercation, and a representative for Epps did not immediately return messages for comment.
Related: Crazy Brawl at Mike Epps Comedy Show! (2015)
Watch TV shows, movies and more on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.
