In a new lawsuit Kiefer Sutherland found himself at the center of serious charges several months after his arrest in Los Angeles in January.
An Uber driver claims the actor became violent during a late-night ride, leaving him injured and fearing for his safety.
The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of an incident that investigators say escalated from confusion and frustration to threats, physical violence and police intervention.
Kiefer Sutherland is charged with assault and battery.
According to court documents obtained Daily Mail , Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan filed a lawsuit against Sutherland, accusing him of assault and battery after an incident that allegedly occurred on January 12.
The actor, best known for his role as Jack Bauer on the hit series "24," was arrested by police later that day on suspicion of making threats.
The lawsuit alleges that Sutherland entered Manvelyan's car near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, after which the situation worsened during the drive.
Manvelyan claims that as a result of the conflict he suffered injuries to his head, face, neck, spine and shoulder.
He is seeking damages for the physical and emotional harm he claims he suffered.
Details of the incident involving the driver
The lawsuit contains a number of allegations describing Kiefer Sutherland's behavior before and during the trip.
According to Manvelyan, the actor appeared "obviously drunk" when he got into the car and allegedly needed help from another person to get inside.
The driver, who is a native Russian and Armenian speaker, claims that communication difficulties quickly led to tension between them. Court documents state that Sutherland became "agitated" when he found it difficult to understand him.
The statement also said Sutherland allegedly became "increasingly hostile, aggressive and confrontational" during the trip, "shouting and abusing others.".
Allegations of physical abuse and death threats
Manvelyan claims the dispute escalated into a physical altercation while he was still driving. According to the lawsuit, Sutherland allegedly "intentionally attacked" him and "repeatedly punched" him in the head, face, neck, and upper body.
The lawsuit also alleges that the actor used a chokehold on the driver and threatened to kill him.
According to Manvelyan, after getting out of the car, Sutherland chased him down the street, shouting: «I’ll kill you!».
The driver also claims that his dashcam captured part of the incident and that witnesses were present during at least part of the conflict.
He also claims that police officers who arrived at the scene found bruises and swelling on his forehead.
Kiefer Sutherland's accuser has issued a statement through her lawyer.
While Manvelyan himself has not publicly commented on the charges, his lawyer, Mitra Saburi, issued a statement explaining the reasons for filing the lawsuit.
Saburi stated Daily Mail "Mr. Manvelyan is a private individual who did not seek publicity. He filed this lawsuit to seek legal redress for the injuries and damages he claims he suffered.".
She also commented on the existence of the alleged video evidence, stating: "Out of respect for his privacy, we will not release the dashcam footage and will allow the facts and evidence to be considered during the trial.".
The lawyer's comments suggest that any video footage or additional evidence related to the case may emerge during the trial rather than through the media.
At this point, these accusations remain merely allegations made in a civil lawsuit and have not been proven in court.
Kiefer Sutherland's legal troubles have once again come into the spotlight.
The lawsuit has brought renewed attention to several previous legal incidents involving Sutherland.
In 2007, the actor pleaded guilty to drunk driving after failing a field sobriety test at the scene of an accident. Because he had already been convicted of drunk driving in 2004, he was sentenced to 48 days in jail.
Two years later, Sutherland was arrested following a confrontation with fashion designer Jack McCollough following a charity event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The charges were eventually dropped after the actor publicly apologized.
He himself has previously touched upon the topic of his problematic alcohol addiction.
In an interview with the magazine PEOPLE In 2016, Sutherland opened up about his relationship with alcohol and the consequences that sometimes followed.
«"I've never been one of those people who, if something was going wrong in my life or something was not right, I would drown my sorrows in alcohol," he said.
The actor continued: «One of my favorite things to do is spend time with friends, tell stories and drink a lot…»
He later gave an even more frank assessment of his past experience.
«"Looking back on my life, I can say with complete confidence that every bad thing that has happened to me has happened because I love going to bars and drinking with my friends," Sutherland said.
He added: "I'd be lying if I said there weren't moments when I felt like I lost sight of the situation.".
Read also: Kiefer Sutherland was forced to cancel his US tour dates due to a humiliating reason after being arrested.