Kiefer Sutherland’s Late Night Rideshare Trip Just Ended With Him In Handcuffs

Kiefer Sutherland built his career playing Jack Bauer, a federal agent who saved America from terrorists every season.

The 59-year-old actor just had the worst Monday morning of his life.

And 24 star Kiefer Sutherland's late night rideshare trip just ended with him in handcuffs.

24 Star Kiefer Sutherland Arrested After Hollywood Rideshare Assault

Just after midnight Monday, Los Angeles police responded to a call about an assault on a rideshare driver near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.

Officers arrived to find Sutherland had entered the vehicle, physically assaulted the driver, and made criminal threats against him.

The driver didn't require medical treatment at the scene, but police arrested the 24 star on suspicion of making criminal threats under California Penal Code section 422.

California reserves that felony charge for threatening to kill someone or cause serious bodily harm to create fear in the victim.

Sutherland was booked into Los Angeles County jail around 4 a.m. with bail set at $50,000.

He bonded out seven hours later and is scheduled for his first court appearance February 2.

His representatives refused to comment when reporters reached out for an explanation.

Kiefer Sutherland DUI History: Four Arrests Since 1989

Sutherland's arrest record reads like a rap sheet from one of his movies.

He's been arrested four separate times for drunk driving starting in 1989 when police also found him with a loaded gun he wasn't licensed to carry.

That weapons charge got dropped after he pleaded no contest to reckless driving.

In 1993 he was arrested again for DUI and once more pleaded it down to reckless driving.

Then in 2004 and 2007 he was convicted of driving under the influence.

The judge sentenced him to 48 days in jail for the 2007 conviction but let him serve it in segments so he could keep filming 24.

In 2009 Sutherland head-butted fashion designer Jack McCollough at a Met Gala after-party at The Mercer Hotel in New York.

That assault case got dropped after Sutherland publicly apologized and the two men issued a joint statement.

Sutherland told People Magazine in 2016 that he wasn't the guy who drowned his sorrows with alcohol when life got tough.

But he admitted that going out drinking with friends and telling stories frequently landed him in hot water.

Rideshare Driver Assaults Rising Despite Safety Claims

Sutherland's alleged attack on a driver fits a disturbing pattern of violence in the rideshare industry.

Uber reported nearly 6,000 sexual assaults and 19 fatal physical assaults between 2017 and 2018 alone.

Those numbers climbed to nearly 10,000 sexual assault reports through 2022.

Lyft recorded 10 fatal assaults from 2017 to 2019, then that number jumped to 23 between 2020 and 2022.

That's a 185% increase.

Most media coverage focuses on drivers assaulting passengers, but attacks on drivers are rising too.

A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found no reliable database tracking assaults against rideshare drivers.

Neither Uber nor Lyft releases comprehensive data on driver victimization.

But multiple lawsuits and criminal cases show female drivers especially face serious threats from passengers.

One Chicago Uber driver was sexually assaulted in 2021 after a male passenger threatened her with a gun and forced her to drive to a secluded area.

Jack Bauer Actor Faces Felony Criminal Threats Charge

Sutherland joins a long list of stars whose drinking led to arrests.

Mel Gibson got busted for DUI in Malibu in 2006 and made antisemitic remarks that tanked his acting career.

Lindsay Lohan faced multiple DUI charges in 2007 along with cocaine possession.

Justin Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach in 2014 for street racing while high on marijuana and Xanax.

Tiger Woods was found asleep at the wheel in Florida in 2017 with five different drugs in his system.

Most got plea deals, probation, and alcohol programs.

Sutherland's 2007 DUI only cost him 48 days in jail served on a Hollywood schedule.

Now at 59 he's facing a felony charge for criminal threats against a rideshare driver trying to do his job.

The son of Donald Sutherland who passed away in June 2022 hasn't addressed whether alcohol played a role in this latest incident.

But his pattern of arrests stretching back 36 years tells the story.

Sutherland's February 2 court date will determine if Hollywood gives him another pass or if this time the consequences stick.

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Sources:

• NBC News, "Kiefer Sutherland arrested and accused of assaulting ride-share driver, L.A. police say," January 13, 2026.
• CNN, "Actor Kiefer Sutherland arrested for allegedly assaulting a ride-hail driver, police say," January 13, 2026.
• Fox News, "Kiefer Sutherland arrested after alleged altercation with rideshare driver in Los Angeles," January 13, 2026.
• The Hollywood Reporter, "Kiefer Sutherland Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting L.A. Ride-Share Driver, Police Say," January 13, 2026.
• The Mirror US, "Kiefer Sutherland's arrest history after alleged assault of ride-share driver," January 13, 2026.
• Smart Cities Dive, "Data lacking on assaults against taxi, ride-hailing drivers and passengers, GAO says," February 28, 2024.
• The News Hub, "The Hidden Toll of Rideshare Assault: Data Reveals Litigation Trends and Safety Failures," September 30, 2025.