Wendell Pierce, the actor who famously played Detective William “Bunk” Moreland in gritty crime series The Wire, found himself on the other side of the law this weekend.
Pierce, who has publicly backed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race, was charged with simple battery after allegedly assaulting a Bernie Sanders-supporting couple at 3:30am on Saturday morning at the bar of an Atlanta, Georgia, hotel.
The incident, which occurred at Atlanta’s Loews Hotel, reportedly started when Pierce, who also starred in HBO‘s New Orleans-set drama Treme and played Clearance Thomas in the miniseries Confirmation, struck up a conversation with some strangers that turned physical when Pierce learned the couple were backing the independent Vermont senator in the 2016 election.
“Mr. Wendell was arrested early Saturday morning at Atlanta Lowes Hotel, where he was a guest,” an Atlanta Police Department spokesperson said in a statement to news station WDSU. “The incident did not rise to anything significant so no special notification was made. … [I]t was treated like any other arrest a patrol officer conducts. Mr. Pierce made no indication he was famous nor did the officer inquire. Once the incident report is complete we will be delighted to share the details. But at this time there is nothing significant to share with the media.”
Throughout the election season, Pierce has been a public supporter of the former secretary of state’s campaign for the White House and dismissive of the challenge posed by Sanders.
#HillaryClinton speech was a clarity of purpose, a clarity of the platform and policies. pic.twitter.com/IwBZ5gpGOG
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) April 20, 2016
@GerrishLisa Immaturity of your actions reflects the reason the momentum needed for Bernie’ revolution dies in Philly, instead of growing
— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) May 8, 2016
Pierce was a vociferous fundraiser for President Barack Obama, raising over half a million dollars as a bundler for the president’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Pierce was released later in the day on Saturday on a $1,000 bond. The actor did not respond to a request for comment from the New Orleans Advocate.
H/T Washington Post
