LAPD was prepared to arrest Will Smith over Chris Rock slap, Oscars producer says

The Los Angeles Police Department was ready to arrest Will Smith after he slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about Smith's wife, but the comedian decided to not press charges, Oscars producer Will Packer said.

The producer told "Good Morning America" on Thursday about the tense situation during the Academy Awards ceremony.

"They were saying, 'You know, this is battery.' [That] was the word they use[d] in that moment," Packer told the outlet. "They said, 'We will go get him; we are prepared. We're prepared to get him right now. You can press charges. We can arrest him.' They were laying out the options, and as they were talking, Chris was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, 'No, I'm fine.' He was like, 'No, no, no.'"

The LAPD released a statement Sunday night after the incident, stating that "investigative entities were aware" of the slap, but "the individual involved has declined to file a police report."

The law enforcement agency stressed, "If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report."

The slap came after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia and shaves her head.

"Jada, I love you. 'G.I. Jane 2,' can’t wait to see it," Rock told the audience, later claiming he was unaware of her diagnosis that causes hair loss.

Will Smith is seen on video laughing at first, but after his wife glared at him, the actor went on stage and slapped Rock.

"Get my wife’s name out your f*****g mouth!" Smith yelled twice.

The Motion Pictures Academy on Wednesday said Smith was asked to leave after the incident but refused, and the group opened "disciplinary proceedings" against Smith. The academy condemned Smith's actions earlier in the week and announced plans to investigate the slap.