LL Cool J Proves He’s Still Bad, Knocks Out Intruder

Ladies love him, and now, criminals should fear him.

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LL Cool J was honored during the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

His 1991 single “Mama Said Knock You Out” should have sounded an alarm to potential burglars. LL Cool J had the opportunity to live out these words when he took down an intruder Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home.

The actor and MC behind such classic hip-hop jams as “Big Ole Butt” and “I’m Bad” discovered his home being burglarized early Wednesday morning, and quickly resolved the problem — with his fists. The 58-year-old suspect reportedly sustained a broken nose and jaw in what police sources told the Los Angeles Times was a “knock-down, drag-out” fight. By the time police arrived at his Studio City home, the LA Times reports, the 44-year-old LL Cool J had already subdued the home invader, later identified as Jonathan Kirby, according the LA Times.

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“A physical altercation occurred between the suspect and the victim, James Todd Smith, also known professionally as LL Cool J,” Los Angeles police Sgt. Frank Preciado told the Associated Press. “My understanding is he just had him in custody with his physical strength.”

The LA Times reports that LL Cool J was “upstairs in his home when he heard noise coming from the kitchen area. When he went down to see what was happening, the suspect came at him, leading to the fight.” Afterwards, the performer’s daughter called the police to let them know to come pick up the foiled criminal, according to the AP.

Even Sgt. Preciado seemed impressed by LL Cool J’s beat-down. “Mr. Smith, LL Cool J, is a very physical-looking individual, and I’m sure he was keeping that in mind,” he told the AP, though he wouldn’t confirm the physical state of Kirby, who was taken to the hospital after authorities arrived. Kirby, a 56-year-old transient, has a long history of drug abuse and theft, and he’s now being investigated for other thefts in the Studio City area north of Los Angeles.

In recent years, LL Cool J has traded the stage for the screen, starring in “NCIS: Los Angeles,” which is now entering its fourth season. He says he’s currently working on his 13th studio album.

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