Kiefer Sutherland charged with assault

NEW YORK (Reuters) - TV star Kiefer Sutherland was arrested by New York police on Thursday and charged with assault for headbutting another man.

The star of hit television show "24" turned himself in to a police station in the Manhattan neighbourhood of Soho and faces a minor assault charge for "headbutting", according to a police spokeswoman.

Several media outlets reported that Sutherland is accused of assaulting fashion designer Jack McCollough at a Monday night party after an annual costume gala held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A representative for the actor, who is serving five years probation on a drunken driving charge in Los Angeles, did not return a call for comment.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office had no comment.

A criminal charge, even a minor one, could have harsh consequences for the 42-year-old actor, who plays tough-minded special agent Jack Bauer on the TV thriller "24."

He was arrested in 2007 for drunken driving in Los Angeles and served 48 days in a Southern California jail. At the time of his arrest, Sutherland was on probation for a previous drunken driving violation.

Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, said Los Angeles officials will contact New York detectives to learn details of their investigation.

"If we can establish that there was a violation of the probation, then it would be up to a judge to levy whatever penalties are appropriate," Mateljan said on Wednesday.