Man arrested after trading insults

A heckler has been arrested after allegedly threatening a comedian with a knife. 

The audience member – 34-year-old Michael Perrone (pictured inset in his police mugshot) – reportedly turned violent after trading insults with stand-up Aries Spears on Friday night.

According to the police report, Perrone ‘had been heckling Perrone and a verbal exchange ensued’. Then, ‘while leaving the venue, he was observed pulling out a folding knife with the blade open and threatened to be waiting for Spears outside’.

Cops were called to the Funny Bone club in Manchester, Connecticut, at around 9.20pm and Perrone told them he had left because he didn’t like being made fun of. Officers say they found a knife in a planter outside the venue.

Perrone was arrested and charged with breach of peace and threatening behaviour, as well as tampering with evidence tampering for allegedly tossing the knife. He is due in court on March 7.

New Yorker Spears was a regular on Fox's sketch comedy series MADtv, appearing in 198 episodes from 1997 to 2005.

Published: 26 Feb 2019