Kiefer Sutherland Fires Back Over Lawsuit Accusing Him of Choking Uber Driver Before Arrest

Kiefer Sutherland fired back over accusations that he choked an Uber driver and threatened to kill him in a rideshare dispute that led to his arrest.

“Six months ago, Kiefer Sutherland was involved in a scary incident when he was the passenger in an Uber and the driver refused to stop the vehicle despite repeated requests to do so,” Sutherland’s spokesperson told Us Weekly on Friday, June 12.

The statement continued, “Although the driver declined medical attention at the scene, in the months since then, Kiefer has become the victim of his consistent attempts to embellish and exaggerate his claims of distress and injury while demanding millions of dollars in compensation after he and his lawyer learned of Kiefer’s celebrity. Kiefer intends to fight this suit since he has absolutely no interest in rewarding someone who has crafted a distorted account in pursuit of a massive payday.”

In January, the 24 alum, 59, was detained by LAPD officers for allegedly making criminal threats, in violation of California Penal Code section 422, which is a felony. The physical altercation allegedly arose over Sutherland’s repeated demands to be let out of an Uber Black ride.

Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan has now filed suit against Sutherland, accusing him of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, per court documents obtained by Us. The driver is seeking unspecified damages, including putative damages. (TMZ first reported the news.)

The lawsuit alleges that the two men had trouble communicating during the Uber Black ride because Manvelyan primarily speaks Russian and Armenian. Manvelyan accused Sutherland of growing “increasingly hostile, aggressive [and] confrontational” throughout the ride, before the actor allegedly threatened to kill him.

Manvelyan maintains that the dispute soon turned physical, with Sutherland allegedly pummeling him “with closed fists” and applying a choke hold.

When Manvelyan escaped and began running away, Sutherland allegedly chased after him screaming, “I’m going to kill you.” The lawsuit claims that Manvelyan’s Uber vehicle was equipped with a dashcam that may have captured “all or part of the incident.”

“[Sutherland’s] conduct was intentional, malicious, oppressive, despicable and carried out with a willful and conscious disregard for [Manvelyan’s] rights and safety,” the driver’s lawyers insisted in the lawsuit.

Authorities eventually arrived on the scene, at which time they took note of “bruising and swelling” on Manvelyan’s forehead, per the driver’s lawyers.

“As a direct result of [Sutherland’s] conduct, [Manvelyan] suffered injuries to his head, face, neck, cervical spine, right shoulder, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, nervous system, and psychological injuries,” the lawsuit alleges.

Manvelyan’s legal team notes that the Uber driver experiences “ongoing anxiety, fear, nightmares, emotional trauma and sleep disturbance.”

“[Manvelyan] feared [Sutherland] would kill him during the incident and continues to suffer emotional and psychological effects as a result,” they argued.

The lawsuit additionally states that Manvelyan incurred costs for medical treatment, including “chiropractic treatment, neurological evaluation, diagnostic testing, psychological elevation and treatment,” some of which continues to this day. Manvelyan claims to have suffered both loss of earnings capacity and other “economic damages” as well.

Following the filing of the lawsuit, Manvelyan’s attorney, Mitra Sabouri, told Us, “My client is a private individual. We have filed a civil lawsuit, and the allegations are set forth in the complaint. We look forward to presenting the evidence through the appropriate legal process and will allow the courts to address the matter.”

LAPD officers detained Sutherland at the scene of the dispute on January 12. A police spokesperson shed light on the incident in a statement to Us at the time.

“On January 12, around 12:15 a.m., officers from the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a radio call regarding an assault involving a ride-share driver near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue,” an LAPD statement read. “The investigation determined that the suspect, later identified as Kiefer Sutherland, entered a ride-share vehicle, physically assaulted the driver (the victim), and made criminal threats toward the victim.”

Sutherland was released from custody after paying a $50,000 bond.

Sutherland has had numerous run-ins with the law over the years. He pleaded no contest to a DUI in 1989 and completed 211 hours of community service four years later due another alcohol-related driving offense.

The Lost Boys star incurred another drunk driving offense in 2004, for which he was ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and serve five years of probation. In 2007, Sutherland was sentenced to 48 days in jail after once again being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, which was a parole violation.

Elsewhere, Sutherland faced some disappointing news in his career in May when he canceled the U.S. leg of his Love Will Bring You Home concert tour due to disappointing ticket sales. (Sutherland has released four albums of country and Americana-inspired music.)

“With great disappointment I am going to have to cancel the U.S. leg of my tour due to very low ticket sales,” Sutherland announced on May 15. “I don’t think it’s fair to the people who bought tickets, or the venues, to play to half empty houses.”

He added, “I look forward to touring the United States again at a more suitable time. I hope you understand.”

Sutherland and his band are still scheduled to perform a single show in Saguenay, Quebec, on July 11. He wrapped up a European tour on June 1 in the U.K.