Actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Monday after an altercation with a rideshare driver near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood, police said. Officers responding just after 12:15 a.m. determined the 59-year-old had entered the vehicle, assaulted the driver and made criminal threats before taking him into custody.
Police said the driver did not require medical treatment at the scene. Sutherland was booked on suspicion of criminal threats, posted a $50,000 bond and was released later Monday. A court appearance is set for Feb. 2 in Los Angeles County. The arrest puts renewed focus on a star with past legal run-ins and raises questions about what unfolded inside the car, including whether a language barrier complicated the dispute. Representatives for Sutherland did not immediately comment, and police said the Hollywood Division continues to investigate.
Authorities said the encounter began when Sutherland got into a ride-hail vehicle after dinner. According to preliminary accounts in police summaries and reports, a disagreement escalated inside the car shortly after departure. Investigators said Sutherland allegedly demanded the driver pull over and, during the exchange, threatened the man and struck him. The driver exited the vehicle at some point and later contacted 911. Officers located the parties near Sunset and Fairfax, a busy crossroads bordered by music venues, storefronts and late-night traffic. One officer’s log notes that the driver asked for a translator during the initial interview, which detectives said they accommodated while gathering statements and documenting the scene.
Sutherland was arrested at the location without incident, police said. Booking records list the alleged offense as criminal threats, an accusation that can be filed as a felony or misdemeanor in California. No additional counts were announced. Detectives from the Hollywood Division took the case and retrieved available video from nearby businesses that operate overnight cameras. Investigators photographed the vehicle, recorded the driver’s account and noted that no visible injuries required treatment. Officials said they would review dispatch audio, surveillance footage and any phone recordings to establish a minute-by-minute timeline of the exchange.
The driver’s identity was not released. Police said there is no indication the driver knew the passenger before the ride. Investigators have not described what triggered the argument beyond the dispute over stopping the car. Sutherland was released on bond after booking and fingerprinting at a Los Angeles facility. His court date is set for Feb. 2, when a judge could hear the first charging decisions from prosecutors. A police spokesperson said any additional information, including a more detailed narrative, will be provided in a supplemental report forwarded to the City Attorney or District Attorney for filing review.
Sutherland, the son of the late actor Donald Sutherland, is best known for playing counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on “24” and for roles in “The Lost Boys,” “Young Guns,” “Stand by Me” and “A Few Good Men.” He has previously acknowledged in interviews that alcohol has caused problems in his life. Court records show prior brushes with the law, including drunken driving convictions in 2004 and 2007; the latter resulted in 48 days in jail and an alcohol program. In 2009, he was arrested after head-butting a fashion designer in New York; those charges were later dropped. Monday’s arrest is the first high-profile case involving the actor in several years.
California’s criminal-threats statute covers verbal or electronic threats of serious harm that place a person in reasonable fear, even if no physical injury occurs. Prosecutors weigh the words used, context and corroborating evidence such as witness statements, recordings or body-camera footage. The lack of medical treatment does not preclude charges if investigators believe the threat was specific and credible. Defense attorneys often counter that arguments inside vehicles can be chaotic and that alleged statements may be misheard or mistranslated. Police said they documented the driver’s request for a translator and took recorded statements to avoid disputes over wording.
The intersection where police responded sits on the edge of Hollywood’s nightlife district, where late-night ride-hail traffic is heavy on weekends and after events. Businesses on the surrounding blocks operate exterior cameras and bright signage, and investigators commonly canvass those systems for clues when incidents occur near the curbs or in travel lanes. Detectives said they are reviewing footage from several storefronts along Sunset and Fairfax and checking nearby traffic cameras for additional angles showing the vehicle’s approach and stop. Officers also noted the possibility of dashcam footage from the rideshare car itself, which they said they will seek through legal process if not provided voluntarily.
By Tuesday, the LAPD had not released body-camera video or a detailed narrative beyond the basic arrest summary. Prosecutors had not filed charges publicly, a step that typically follows a review of police reports and evidence. Sutherland’s representatives have not issued a statement. Industry colleagues contacted by reporters declined comment or said they were waiting for more information. In similar cases, prosecutors consider whether threats were conditional or immediate and whether physical contact, if any, supports an additional count such as misdemeanor battery.
If prosecutors move forward on Feb. 2, Sutherland could be arraigned the same day. Possible outcomes include a misdemeanor filing, a felony complaint, or a decision to seek further investigation. If charges are filed, subsequent steps would include standard discovery, potential diversion assessments in a misdemeanor scenario, or a preliminary hearing in a felony case to test probable cause. Police said they plan to complete supplemental interviews and finish collecting video this week. No civil action has been announced by the driver, and no restraining order had appeared in court records as of Tuesday afternoon.
For now, the case remains in the investigative stage with an early court date set. Sutherland’s bond conditions were not detailed beyond the standard notice to appear. Police said they will release additional updates if there are material developments. The driver has not spoken publicly. The next milestone is the Feb. 2 appearance in Los Angeles County, where prosecutors will set out their initial position based on the evidence gathered since the arrest.
Author note: Last updated January 14, 2026.