“The Wire” star Wendell Pierce was arrested over the weekend in Atlanta, TheWrap has confirmed.
“Mr. Wendell Pierce was arrested early Saturday morning at Atlanta Loews Hotel, where he was a guest,” an Atlanta Police Department spokesperson told TheWrap in a statement.
“The incident did not rise to anything significant so no special notification was made … it was treated like any other arrest a patrol officer conducts,” the statement continued. “Mr. Pierce made no indication he was famous nor did the officer inquire. Once the incident report is complete we will be delighted to share the details. But at this time there is nothing significant to share with the media.”
The statement makes no mention of why Pierce, who played Det. “Bunk” Moreland on the HBO series, was arrested, but reports indicate it was the result of an assault over political differences.
According to TMZ, Pierce got into an argument with a couple in the lobby of the Loews Hotel after the woman declared her support for Bernie Sanders. Pierce, a staunch Hillary Clinton supporter, reportedly became enraged, pushed the boyfriend, and smacked the woman in the head.
Representatives for Pierce did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Most recently, Pierce played Clarence Thomas in the HBO original movie “Confirmation” opposite Kerry Washington as Anita Hill. He also appeared in the critically acclaimed film “Selma” and multiple episodes of CBS sitcom “The Odd Couple.”