Comedian jailed on assault charges

PORTLAND, Ore. — Comedian Katt Williams has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a hired driver during an argument about taking him and his dog from the Portland, Oregon, airport to a performance in the city.

Williams, who was in jail Sunday, came to Portland to perform in Nick Cannon’s “Wild ‘N Out” comedy improv show Friday night.

The town car driver had swelling and cuts on his face, according to Port of Portland police. Williams, 47, whose real name is Micah Williams, left in another vehicle and was arrested Saturday.

Williams has been charged with assault in the fourth degree, and an arraignment is scheduled for Monday. He also was arrested for an out-of-state warrant from Georgia.

A publicist for Williams, whose comedy specials have appeared on HBO and Netflix, didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment. A jail official and a spokesman for the district attorney’s office said they didn’t know if the comedian had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Last month, Williams won the Emmy Award for guest actor in a comedy series for “Atlanta,” a TV show about two cousins in Atlanta’s rap scene. The arrest comes more than a year after Williams was sentenced to three years of probation in Los Angeles after pleading no contest to stealing a celebrity photographer’s camera.