Oscars producer says LAPD was ready to arrest Will Smith

Los Angeles, April 1 (IANS): Oscars producer Will Packer has addressed Hollywood star Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the ceremony.

In a preview clip of Packer’s upcoming interview on ‘Good Morning America’, he shared that the Los Angeles Police Department was on the scene on Sunday night and ready to arrest Smith if Rock wanted to press charges, reports ‘Variety’.

“They were saying, you know, this is battery, was a word they used in that moment. “They said, we will go get him. We are prepared. We’re prepared to get him right now. You can press charges, we can arrest him,” Packer said.

“They were laying out the options. And as they were talking, Chris was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m fine’. And even to the point where I said, ‘Rock, let them finish’. The LAPD officers finished laying out what his options were and they said: “Would you like us to take any action?’ And he said no. He said no.”

In the clip, Packer also said he did not speak to Smith directly the night of the Oscars. As ‘Variety’ reported on Sunday night, Rock declined to file a police report regarding the slap.

“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards programme. The incident involved one individual slapping another,” the LAPD statement said.

“The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report.”

There has been much confusion surrounding the altercation as the Academy said in a statement on Wednesday that they asked Smith to leave the ceremony and he refused; however, sources have since refuted that claim to ‘Variety’.

Also in the Wednesday statement, the Academy revealed that Smith now faces “suspension, expulsion, or other sanctions permitted” as a result of the slap.

Smith issued an apology on Monday, particularly addressing Rock, which he had not done in his best actor speech the night before.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, Rock publicly responded to the slap for the first time during a comedy show in Boston.

“I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend,” he said.

“I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that sh**. And it will be serious and funny.”