Wendell Pierce of 'The Wire': Bernie Sanders' Supporters Assaulted Me (UPDATE)

Wendell Pierce of ‘The Wire’ claims Bernie Sanders' supporters dragged him into a hotel room and assaulted him

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Complex Original

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UPDATE 05/17/16:

Wendell Pierce released a statement about the altercation on Twitter:

I regret that what started as a civil political discussion escalated to the level that it did. (1/3)
Although what has been reported thus far differs in important respects from what actually occurred, (2/3)
I have confidence that the judicial process will work as it should. (3/3)

Wendell Pierce

See original story below.

Wendell Pierce, famous for portraying Detective Bunk Moreland on The Wire, says he was the one assaulted by supporters of candidate Bernie Sanders, despite it being reported otherwise. Pierce was arrested in Atlanta Saturday for allegedly assaulting a couple who revealed themselves as Sanders supporters. Pierce has been vocal about supporting democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 

Police say the assault occurred 3 a.m. Saturday at the Loews Hotel, according to documents obtained by TMZ. Pierce and his girlfriend were reportedly talking to three people, including the previously mentioned couple, when the conversation shifted to politics. It was previously reported that Pierce pushed the man, grabbed his girlfriend's hair ,and smacked her head.

The woman says Pierce followed the couple to their hotel room and tried to go inside the room, sticking his arm in the door. She said Pierce grabbed her hoodie and managed to rip it off when she and her boyfriend tried to push Pierce out.

But Pierce says he was the one who was being pulled into the couple's hotel room. Pierce admitted he followed the Sanders supporters to their room arguing about Clinton and Sanders, but he said he didn’t go inside the room. Pierce says he tried to run away when the couple tried to pull him inside.

Pierce was arrested for assault and battery and released on a $1,000 bond.

The actor, who was set to give a commencement speech Wednesday at New Jersey's Rutgers University in Newark, pulled out of the event. A Rutgers Newark press release said, "Newark (RU-N) was informed by actor and humanitarian Wendell Pierce that in order to assure that commencement 2016 will be a celebration of the accomplishments of its students free of distractions, he is declining to join RU-N and consequently must decline the conferral of an honorary degree."

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