As the hero Jack Bauer in the TV series “24,” actor Kiefer Sutherland’s character often had to resort to threats and violence in order to save the nation. In real life, however, those activities can land one in jail rather than earn high viewership ratings.
Just after midnight on January 12, 2026, Sutherland was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Hollywood Division after an alleged altercation with a ride-share driver whose vehicle he was a passenger in. While the driver accused the actor of physically assaulting him, Sutherland was instead booked on charges of felony criminal threats and held for seven hours before being released on a $50,000 bond. Unless the charges are dismissed, he’s scheduled to make an appearance at a Los Angeles County Superior Court date on February 2nd.
The Canadian actor claims that he repeatedly asked the driver to pull over and let him out, but was refused. As an interpreter was employed by the LAPD to discuss the incident with the driver, there’s a possibility that miscommunication could lie at the core of the dispute. Given the charges he’s facing, the 59-year-old Sutherland may need attorneys like those from “A Few Good Men.”
The Clock Is Ticking
With a beloved filmography and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Sutherland is among the most popular actors of his era. The son of actor Donald Sutherland, he’s best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the hit TV series “24,” which ran for numerous seasons and earned him both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. The show played out in real time and centered around his character’s efforts to thwart terrorist plots, often at the expense of his personal life and the people he loved. Other recent shows he’s starred in include “Designated Survivor” and “Rabbit Hole.”
Sutherland has enjoyed a successful career in film as well. Early roles as a bully in the late Rob Reiner’s “Stand By Me” and a charismatic vampire in “The Lost Boys” led to bigger roles in movies like “Flatliners,” “A Few Good Men,” and “The Three Musketeers.” He’s also served as a voice actor for several productions.
Monday morning’s confrontation is not Sutherland’s first legal difficulty. He’s been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) four times since 1989, with the most recent occurring in 2007. He received a sentence of 48 days in a California jail. He was also arrested in New York in 2009 for head-butting a fashion designer after a fundraising event. He later apologized, and the charges were dropped.
A Tinsel Town Tussle
As might be expected, the two principals in the incident have differing accounts of what happened. Both agreed that Sutherland was a passenger and that the vehicle stopped near Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. The ride-share driver alleged that Sutherland physically assaulted him and made verbal threats, including that he was “going to kill” him. There was no medical treatment administered at the site of the arrest.
Sutherland claimed that his repeated requests for the driver to stop and let him out were ignored. Police used a translator to communicate with the driver, raising the possibility that the incident was the byproduct of a misunderstanding. Sutherland was arrested on a Section 422 charge for making criminal threats that placed the alleged victim in fear for their own safety.
Under California law, a criminal threats offense is a wobbler that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances. If the current charge is reduced to a misdemeanor, Sutherland could face up to a year in a county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both if convicted. The penalties are more severe if it remains a felony, with up to three years in state prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both for a conviction or a plea.
Related Resources
- Driving a New Narrative: Uber Targets 'Unfair' Insurance Rates and Personal Injury Attorneys (FindLaw’s Practice of Law)
- Author Shot by Police in Her Backyard Charged With Suspicion of Attempted Murder (FindLaw’s Legally Weird)
- Criminal Penalties for Murder Threats (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
