A man has been arrested after tackling comedian Dave Chappelle on stage during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The man ran onto the stage at the show and tackled Chappelle to the ground, before being set upon by security.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson identified the suspect as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee, who was being held in jail on a $US30,000 bond after being charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon.
Lee had a replica gun that contained a knife blade when he attacked Chappelle, the spokesperson said.
It was not immediately clear whether Chappelle, 48, was injured in the attack, or what motivated it.
Video footage posted on Twitter showed a man running onto the stage and launching himself into Chappelle, slamming his shoulder into the comedian's ribs and chest.
After the initial contact, the assailant and Chappelle took several steps before both fell to the floor, the video showed.
Lee then stood up and ran around the stage, dodging a swarm of people for several seconds before they tackled him near the back of the stage.
Chappelle was performing at the venue along with other comedians during his Dave Chappelle and Friends show, as part of an 11-day comedy festival called Netflix Is A Joke.
The assault occurred just over a month after actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.
Coincidentally, Rock was on stage with Chappelle after he was tackled, taking the microphone and asking: "Was that Will Smith?"
A representative for the Hollywood Bowl said the incident was under investigation and declined to comment further.
An agent and public relations representative for Chappelle and the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Video footage posted on social media showed the suspect on a stretcher being placed into an ambulance.
He was taken to hospital with minor injuries, NBC Los Angeles cited police as saying.
There is little footage of the incident itself, perhaps because Chappelle's show is "a phone-free experience", according to the Hollywood Bowl website.
Attendees have to put their phones into locked pouches on arrival and are only allowed to use them in "designated phone use areas within the venue".
Brianna Sacks, a journalist for BuzzFeed News who attended the event, said the altercation took place as Chappelle ended his performance.
Chappelle's Netflix comedy specials have been criticised for anti-transgender views.
Reuters/ABC
