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Suspect in Dave Chappelle attack charged with attempted murder in separate incident

By Meredith Deliso, ABC News May 20, 2022 | 5:01 AM


Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

(LOS ANGELES) — The suspect who allegedly rushed and tackled comedian Dave Chappelle on stage last month has been charged with attempted murder in a separate incident after the victim identified the man from media coverage surrounding the Chappelle case, prosecutors said.

Isaiah Lee, 23, faces one count of attempted murder, a felony, for allegedly stabbing his roommate in December, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday.

Prosecutors allege that Lee stabbed his roommate during a fight at a transitional housing apartment on Dec. 2. The victim reported the incident to police and recently identified Lee as the perpetrator following news of the Chappelle attack, according to the district attorney’s office.

“The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,” Gascón, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement.

Lee pleaded not guilty to the charge on Thursday in Los Angeles criminal court, the district attorney’s office said. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 2.

Attorney information for Lee in the felony case wasn’t immediately available.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Lee has pleaded not guilty to multiple misdemeanor charges stemming from the Chappelle incident, which occurred during the Netflix Is A Joke Fest at the Hollywood Bowl on May 3.

He was arrested and booked at the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood station following the show and was initially held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney decided not to move forward with felony charges because Lee was not brandishing the knife that looked like the gun, court records show.

The case was referred to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, which charged Lee with four misdemeanor counts — battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer.

During an arraignment hearing on May 6, a judge ordered that Lee not come within 100 yards of Chappelle or the Hollywood Bowl.

In the wake of the attack, Gascón said he’s creating a “roundtable” made up of venues, event security and law enforcement to improve safety and security at events.

ABC News’ Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.

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