The suspect accused of attacking comic Dave Chappelle on stage at a performance in Los Angeles on Tuesday will not be charged with felony assault, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said on Thursday.
Suspect Isaiah Lee, 23, was arrested after attacking Chappelle on stage and initially held for assault with a deadly weapon. However, while police said Lee was carrying a fake gun that conceals a blade, the D.A.’s office will not file felony charges.
Lee was carrying the replica gun in a bag and didn’t appear to use it during the attack, which was one reason why he wasn’t charged with a felony, sources told the Los Angeles Times.
“The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for misdemeanor filing consideration,” L.A. County D.A. spokesman Greg Risling told Fox News.
“After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct,” Risling said. “The District Attorney’s Office does not prosecute misdemeanor crimes within the city of Los Angeles.”
A motive for the attack remained unclear as of Thursday. Footage from the event showed Chappelle continuing to perform in the immediate aftermath, joking that he “thought that was part of the show.”
“As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,” Chappelle’s spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News.