LOS ANGELES - Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday for investigation of misdemeanour drunken driving after he was stopped for making an illegal U-turn and failed a field sobriety test, authorities said.
The actor was pulled over about 1:10 a.m. in West Los Angeles, said Officer Kevin Maiberger.
Sutherland, 40, tested over the state's legal blood alcohol limit of .08 per cent, said Officer Karen Smith. Police declined to say what his blood-alcohol level was.
Sutherland spokeswoman Annett Wolf declined to comment.
The actor was released around 4 a.m. after posting $25,000 bail, according to sheriff's department records.
Not long before he was stopped, Sutherland was seen at a party at the trendy Area nightclub. The event, in the same neighbourhood where the actor was pulled over, was a celebration of the new fall shows on Fox TV, the network that broadcasts "24.''
The city attorney's office had not received the police report and had not filed charges Tuesday afternoon.
A misdemeanour drunken driving count would carry a maximum sentence of a year in jail. However, Sutherland also could face a charge of violating probation: the same charge that landed socialite Paris Hilton in jail for 23 days.
It's not the first time Sutherland has faced such allegations.
In 2004, the actor was placed on probation, fined $500 and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service after pleading no contest, the equivalent of a guilty plea in California, to driving under the influence, an official in the city's attorney's office said. Sutherland filed proof of completing community service and the alcohol treatment program the following May, the spokesman said.
Maiberger said Sutherland was scheduled to appear in court for the latest incident on Oct. 16.
The actor won a best actor Emmy last year for his role as agent Jack Bauer on the Fox TV series "24.'' The series is set to return to the air in January.
Sutherland is the son of actor Donald Sutherland and actress Shirley Douglas. His grandfather is Tommy Douglas, the former Saskatchewan premier widely regarded as the father of Canadian medicare.
The actor's arrest came on the same day he was to be honoured by ACTRA, the union that represents Canadian performers.
After his arrest the event at the official residence of the Canadian consul general was closed to the media.
"We are honouring Mr. Sutherland's commitment to Canada and to Canadian performers,'' Richard Hardacre, ACTRA national president, said in a statement.
Sutherland gave an eloquent speech but did not bring up his arrest, actor Gordon Clapp said.
"There was no mention of anything, certainly about the last 24 hours but that's only fair,'' Clapp said.
Asked about Sutherland's demeanour, Clapp said: "He was fine, he was good. He was very affable with everyone and happy to see everybody.''
Sutherland has previously spoken about his bouts with alcohol. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine published last year, he lamented that he often reacts to gruelling days on the set of "24'' by having a drink.
"I should be able to wake up in the morning without going, `Oh, no! Where's my boot?' Or `Where am I?' Or `One of your friends didn't happen to bring my car home, did they?','' he told the magazine. "It's not a very clever way to live, and I don't want to live like that. But it's the kind of trade you have to make.''
In the wake of his latest arrest, a nonprofit group that raises money for Los Angeles police causes said it would no longer use Sutherland to present its guest of honour at an upcoming fundraiser.
Sutherland was supposed to introduce his friend, producer Brian Grazer, at the "True Blue'' fundraiser of the Los Angeles Police Foundation scheduled for Saturday. Instead, actor Ron Howard will introduce Grazer at the $350-a-plate event at Paramount Studios, foundation President Karen Wagener said.
"Obviously we don't want to embarrass him ... or the department, so introducing Brian on the stage would be inappropriate,'' she said.
Sutherland still was on the invitation list for the affair, which was expected to raise $1 million. Wagener said she had not contacted the actor and it was not immediately clear whether he would attend.
