Actor Emile Davenport Hirsch has been charged with aggravated assault for allegedly putting a woman in a chokehold during the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, local officials said Thursday.
The assault charge is a felony, and Hirsch was also charged with misdemeanor intoxication from the Jan. 25 incident in which he allegedly attacked a female studio executive by wrapping his arm around her to put her in a chokehold, the Summit County Attorney's Office said.
Summit County prosecutor Ryan Stack confirmed that the victim, Daniele Bernfeld, works for Paramount Pictures.
The woman and another witness told officials that Hirsch dragged her across a table and and onto the floor, where he landed on top of her, according to the attorney's office. The woman said she may have momentarily blacked out.
Hirsch's initial court date is set for March 16. If convicted of aggravated assault, he faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The actor is known for his turns in Into the Wild, The Girl Next Door, Lone Survivor and Milk.
