"Home Improvement" star Jonathan Taylor Thomas was taken into custody earlier this week.
The actor, 45, was arrested in Westlake Village, California, in the early hours of Sept. 21 after deputies investigated the driver of the car he was in for a suspected DUI, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told USA TODAY in a Sept. 23 statement. According to the department, deputies initially saw the vehicle stopped at a green light blocking traffic at an intersection and "noticed the driver was acting odd and appeared to be intoxicated."
Authorities later conducted a traffic stop and performed field sobriety tests on the driver, the statement added.
During that time, Thomas, the passenger, "appeared intoxicated, continually exited
the vehicle and approached the deputies, distracting them from their investigation," the statement said. "Deputies attempted to detain [Thomas] for obstruction and public intoxication, at which point, [Thomas] kicked a deputy in the stomach."
Thomas was then arrested and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on charges of obstruction and public intoxication. The driver of the vehicle was also arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Jail records show the former child star was detained for nearly 36 hours. The sheriff's department said the case will be sent to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration.
USA TODAY reached out to Thomas for comment.
Thomas began acting professionally at age 9 and rose to fame playing the mischievous middle child Randy Taylor on "Home Improvement," starring Tim Allen. He appeared in over 170 episodes from 1991 until leaving in 1998 to focus on school. He returned briefly in the show's eighth and final season.
After stepping back from Hollywood, Thomas returned for several roles throughout the 2000s, appearing on "Smallville," "8 Simple Rules," and "Veronica Mars." He also reunited with Allen in the early 2010s for "Last Man Standing."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested, accused of kicking Los Angeles deputy
