Wendell Pierce, the black actor known for portraying Bunk, a world-weary detective in the television drama “The Wire,” has been arrested in Atlanta and charged with battery after a discussion about politics turned violent

According to Maggie Elena Baca, who was staying at the Loews Atlanta Hotel with two friends, Pierce struck her in the head during a confrontation that culminated at the door to her room. Pierce, also a guest at the hotel, was with his girlfriend when he encountered Baca, who was sitting with friends in a hallway on the 23rd floor, she told the police. As the two groups began to talk politics, Pierce became upset, she said. The black actor then began to push her, Baca told the police, and as she and her friends walked away to their room, Pierce followed them and tried to force his way in. In the tussle, Baca said, Pierce “began to hit her in the head and grab her hoodie, ripping the hood off.” Pierce, 52, was taken into custody at the hotel, the police said. He was booked and released on $1,000 bail. As news of his arrest rippled across the web, Pierce withdrew from plans to receive an honorary degree and deliver the commencement address at the Newark campus of Rutgers University. In addition to his role on “The Wire,” Pierce is also well known as a star of the HBO series “Treme,” set in his hometown, New Orleans, and recently portrayed Clarence Thomas in the political drama “Confirmation,” which had its premiere last month on HBO. He also plays a recurring character on the revival of the situation comedy “The Odd Couple” on CBS.