Man Accused of Attacking Dave Chappelle Is a Rapper Who Once Released a Song Named After Comedian
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The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle during the comedian's stand-up set allegedly released a song named after Chappelle in the summer of 2020.
While performing for the Netflix Is a Joke Festival Tuesday night, Chappelle, 48, was tackled and slammed onstage. Police have identified the alleged attacker as Isaiah Lee, 23, and charged Lee with felony assault with a deadly weapon, PEOPLE confirmed. He is being held in the custody of the LAPD's Hollywood Division on a $30,000 bond. It was not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer.
Since his arrest, a song allegedly by the aspiring rapper — who goes by the stage name NoName Trapper, according to The Daily Beast — called "Dave Chappell" (without an e at the end) has resurfaced after its June 2020 release.
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In the two-minute YouTube video, the song plays over a still image of who appears to be Lee standing on top of a police SUV holding up his middle fingers. It currently has more than 14,000 views. It's not clear if Lee actually raps about Chappelle in the song. An unverified Instagram account under the handle @noname_trapper and the name Isaiah Lee also has nearly 40,000 followers.
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Neither The Closer star nor any law enforcement officers were injured during the incident. One spokesperson said the weapon used was "a replica handgun with a knife," describing it as a "replica handgun-slash-knife."
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The attack occurred towards the end of Chappelle's performance when a man in a black hoodie rushed the stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirmed. The man appeared to push Chappelle, knocking him to the ground. The attacker then attempted to flee but was stopped by security guards and members of Chappelle's team.
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Footage posted on Twitter shows the attacker being removed from the scene on a stretcher. An LAPD spokesperson told PEOPLE Lee was treated for injuries and subsequently cleared to be charged and booked.
Several other people sprung into action to help Chappelle, including Chris Rock who had performed earlier in the night. After the incident Rock, 57, said, "I thought that was Will Smith!"
PEOPLE also confirmed that Chappelle ended his set making jokes involving Smith. The Tuesday incident comes five weeks after Rock was smacked across the face by the 53-year-old actor at the 2022 Oscars, after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. (Pinkett Smith, 50, has been open about living with alopecia.)
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on behalf of the Hollywood Bowl, a rep for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association stressed how seriously the organization is addressing the evolving situation.
"The safety of our artists, visitors and staff is the LA Phil's top priority," a spokesperson said.
"The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl on May 3, 2022 remains an active investigation, and we are unable to comment further at this time," they added, redirecting further queries to the LAPD.
