Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

LL Cool J: Rapper, Actor And Real Life Tough Guy

Actor and rapper, LL Cool J.
Evan Agostini
/
AP
Actor and rapper, LL Cool J.

He really IS cool. James Todd Smith, better known as rapper and actor LL Cool J, decked a would-be intruder in his Studio City home early Wednesday, foiling a burglary.

Smith apparently broke the nose and jaw of the suspect, who's in police custody after a 'knock-down, drag out fight', according to the Los Angeles Times. Maybe he picked up his fighting skills from his role on NCIS Los Angeles, where he plays special agent Sam Hanna, a former U.S. Navy SEAL.

The actor is fine and so is his family. according to a publicist. The Times identifies the alleged intruder as Jonathan Kirby, described as a 'transient with a length arrest record for thefts, fights and drugs'.

Media sites are bursting with praise: 'LL Cool J TAKES DOWN Intruder In His House', shouts TMZ. LL Cool J 'Puts Hurt On Burglar', adds the New York Post. "Rapper, Actor, Burglar Catcher," says the Washington Post.

But the best line is from L.A. police Sgt. Frank Preciado, who told AP LL Cool J restrained the suspect until police arrived: "My understanding is he just had him in custody with his physical strength".

Maybe the best warning for criminals comes from LL Cool J himself, who put out his hit album, 'Mama Said Knock You Out', in 1990.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Korva Coleman is a newscaster for NPR.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.