An alleged burglar was left with a broken nose, jaw and ribs after US rapper-actor LL Cool J confronted the intruder in the kitchen of his Los Angeles home, prosecutors said.
Jonathan A. Kirby, a 56-year-old transient, was hospitalised after being tackled by the 44-year-old rapper when he broke into his home in the early hours of Wednesday.
LL Cool J – real name James Todd Smith, whose stage name stands for Ladies Love Cool James and who is known to many as the muscle-bound former Navy Seal he plays on NCIS: Los Angeles – took no chances in disabling the intruder.
“Once James Todd Smith came downstairs, he encountered the suspect in his kitchen,” said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Frank Preciado.
Exactly what happened next is unclear, but when police arrived, they found LL Cool J “in control of the suspect,” he said, adding that officers handcuffed Mr Kirby and took him to hospital. The actor was not injured.
Asked if the star did the right thing, Mr Preciado said: “In this particular case, the suspect did not have a weapon, and you have a victim who is in fear for his life, and a family member inside, in this case his daughter inside the residence ... so you’re going to do whatever is necessary.”
A publicist for LL Cool J issued a statement saying the actor “and his family are safe and thank everyone for their thoughts and concern. As a father, husband and citizen, he is committed to keeping his family safe and is cooperating with authorities on this matter”.