Man With Weapons Arrested at Russell Peters' Comedy Show
Police intercepted a man armed with two edged weapons approaching the stage.
Comedian Russell Peters' performance on Friday night was interrupted by a man carrying two blades walking towards the stage. Vancouver police subsequently arrested the man. On Saturday night, a spokesperson for the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival told CBC News that the Toronto-born performer was on stage during his stand-up routine when the incident occurred.
A 31-year-old man was charged with uttering threats, assaulting another individual, and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Vancouver police stated that no one was injured in the incident around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Approximately 7,500 people attended the night's event, according to the festival.
"Security guards at the comedy festival in Stanley Park saw a man armed with two edged weapons breach a fence and move toward the front of the stage," Sgt. Steve Addison said in a statement Saturday, per CBC News. "The motive is unknown, and the investigation is ongoing."
After "breaching the perimeter of the festival," the suspect was intercepted and apprehended by the event's security guards, spokesperson Chris Schoengut said in an email to the outlet. "The individual in question was followed towards the front of the grounds," Schoengut wrote. "He was safely removed and taken into police custody." He said there was no disruption to the show as a result of the arrest.
Last month, the Peabody-award-winning comedian performed at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, speaking to WTOP about expecting the unexpected during his performances. "It's my act that I'll be doing, but you never know what's going to happen," Peters told WTOP. "I talk to the crowd a lot, so it's one of those things where I don't know what's going to happen as much as you know don't what's going to happen. It's a surprise for all of us. Let's just say if you're sensitive, I don't want you there."
Over the course of his career, Peters has set attendance records at Madison Square Garden, the Sydney Opera House, and the O2 Arena in London. His 2013 Netflix original comedy special Notorious was the first to be released in the streaming giant's library, following it up with a second special called Almost Famous in 2016. Peters has also acted in movies like New Year's Eve (2011), The Jungle Book (2016), Clifford The Big Red Dog (2021) and Velma (2023).
He also has a blue belt in jiu-jitsu. "I'm about to be a purple belt, let's not get it twisted," Peters said. "I've got four stripes on my blue, but if I just got my a— in the gym more, I would have had my purple belt about a year and a half ago, but that's the way it goes."