Some comedians just can't handle hecklers, it seems.
The Washington, D.C., Metro Police Department (MPD) arrested standup comic Dan Nainan Wednesday night after he punched Daily Beast reporter Josh Rogin, according to Rogin and other eyewitnesses. Rogin, who was live tweeting the event at the DC Improv comedy club, wrote a pair of critical tweets about Nainan's act, which seem to have sparked the altercation.
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Here's how it all played out, according to Rogin's Twitter feed.
Dan Nainan was funny until he dusted off his 2005 Katrina jokes in a gratingly bad GWB impression. #DCImprov
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 26, 2013
Dan Nainan makes his umpteenth joke about how Asians cant distinguish between letters "L" and "R". Election, erection, we get it. #DCImprov
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 26, 2013
Dan Nainan just punched me in the face. Not a joke.
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 26, 2013
We are calling the police on Dan Nainan who just punched me twice in front of several witnesses. #dcimprov
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 26, 2013
DC police arrested Dan Nainan for assaulting me.
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 26, 2013
MPD spokesman Araz Alali confirmed Nainan's arrest during a phone call Thursday morning. Alali told Mashable multiple people saw the altercation take place. From details the MPD gathered from witnesses, Nainan punched Rogin in the face and then pushed him. When Rogin attempted to walk away, Nainan returned and punched him again.
"I didn’t think I was being too harsh with him – he’s a professional comedian and I was being a professional journalist," Rogin told the Washington Post.
Another journalist, Michelle Fields, witnessed the incident and tweeted about it.
Sooo just saw @joshrogin get punched in the face by dan nainan #dcimprov
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) September 26, 2013
@JeffreyGoldberg @joshrogin he punched him 3 times
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) September 26, 2013
DC improv night: pic.twitter.com/5KflNJZe86
— Michelle Fields (@MichelleFields) September 26, 2013
Nainin, a 52-year-old from New York, was charged with "simple assault," Alali said.
Though Alali could not offer confirmation, it appears Nainin has been released from custody. He checked in from Union Station's ClubAcela on Foursquare Thursday just after 10 a.m. ET.
Image: Dan Nainan