LL Cool J burglar left with broken bones

Jonathan A Kirby, a 56-year-old transient, was hospitalised after being tackled by the 44-year-old rapper when he broke into his home in the early hours of Wednesday.

LL Cool J - whose real name is James Todd Smith - took no chances in disabling the intruder.

"Once James Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J, came downstairs, he encountered the suspect in his kitchen," said Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) spokesperson Frank Preciado.

Exactly what happened next is unclear, but when police arrived, they found LL Cool J "in control of the suspect," he said, adding that officers handcuffed Kirby and took him to hospital.

The actor, who is known to many as the muscle-bound former Navy SEAL he plays on NCIS: Los Angeles, was not injured.

Asked if the star did the right thing, Preciado said: "In this particular case, the suspect did not have a weapon, (and) you have a victim who is in fear for their life, and a family member inside, in this case his daughter inside the residence ... (so) you're going to do whatever is necessary."

'Keeping his family safe'

A publicist for LL Cool J issued a statement saying the actor "and his family are safe and thank everyone for their thoughts and concern.

"As a father, husband and citizen, he is committed to keeping his family safe and is cooperating with authorities on this private matter," the statement added.

Kirby has been arrested a number of times for theft and disorderly conduct, according to the LA Times, which said he was jailed for five years for burglary in the 1990s and served three jears behind bars for a petty theft in 2005.