Jonathan Taylor Thomas, the former child star who became one of television’s biggest teen heartthrobs on Home Improvement, was taken into custody in Southern California after authorities say he repeatedly interfered with a DUI investigation and ultimately kicked a sheriff’s deputy in the stomach.

Thomas, 45, whose legal name is Jonathan Taylor Thomas Weiss, was not behind the wheel of the vehicle involved in the September 21 encounter. He was riding as a passenger when Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies encountered the vehicle shortly after midnight in Westlake Village.

What initially appeared to be a routine investigation of the driver escalated after Thomas allegedly refused to remain inside the vehicle.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Thomas appeared intoxicated, repeatedly got out of the vehicle and approached deputies while they were attempting to conduct field sobriety tests on the driver. Authorities say his behavior distracted deputies from the investigation.

When deputies moved to detain Thomas on suspicion of obstruction and public intoxication, the situation allegedly became physical.

Thomas “kicked a deputy in the stomach,” the Sheriff’s Department said in its account of the incident. (ABC7 Los Angeles)

Deputies Initially Stopped to Check on the Driver

The encounter began at approximately 12:30 a.m. Monday near Westlake Boulevard and Townsgate Road in Westlake Village.

According to authorities, deputies noticed a vehicle sitting at the intersection even though the traffic signal was green. The vehicle was blocking traffic, prompting deputies to pull alongside it and determine whether the driver needed assistance.

Deputies said the driver was behaving unusually and appeared intoxicated.

They initiated a traffic stop and began a DUI investigation, including field sobriety testing.

Thomas was sitting in the passenger seat. (NBC Los Angeles)

Authorities say the actor then began interfering with what deputies were doing.

The Sheriff’s Department said Thomas appeared intoxicated and “continually exited the vehicle and approached the deputies,” distracting them from their investigation.

The allegation is more specific than the initial reports surrounding Thomas’ detention, which described him as uncooperative and accused him of refusing deputies’ instructions to remain inside the vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Department’s subsequent account alleges that Thomas repeatedly exited the car and approached deputies before they attempted to detain him. (ABC7 Los Angeles)

Sheriff’s Department Says Thomas Kicked a Deputy

Deputies eventually decided to detain Thomas for suspected obstruction and public intoxication.

That’s when authorities say the encounter escalated.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, Thomas kicked one of the deputies in the stomach while deputies were attempting to take him into custody.

He was subsequently detained and transported to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.

NBC Los Angeles reports Thomas was booked on suspicion of felony obstruction and public intoxication. Jail records indicate he was released Tuesday. (NBC Los Angeles)

There is an important distinction between the Sheriff’s Department’s allegation and a criminal conviction.

Thomas has not been convicted of kicking a deputy, and the Sheriff’s Department’s account represents the law-enforcement version of what happened during the encounter.

As of the latest reporting, prosecutors had not filed formal criminal charges against him.

Records Later Listed the Incident as a Detention

The unusual status of Thomas’ booking adds another layer to the story.

The Los Angeles Times reported that booking records initially showed Thomas being booked at the felony level, but he was released Tuesday afternoon without a formal criminal complaint being filed.

The Times reported that records subsequently reflected the incident as a detention rather than an arrest. (Los Angeles Times)

That does not necessarily mean the matter is finished.

The Sheriff’s Department says the case will be submitted to prosecutors for consideration of criminal charges. ABC7 reported that the case is expected to be presented to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. (ABC7 Los Angeles)

Until prosecutors make that determination, it would be premature to describe Thomas as having been formally charged with assaulting a deputy.

The Driver Was Also Taken Into Custody

Thomas wasn’t the person deputies originally suspected of driving under the influence.

Authorities say the unidentified driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI following the field sobriety investigation.

Thomas became involved because of his alleged conduct as the passenger.

That distinction matters because some early descriptions of the incident could create the impression that Thomas himself had been stopped for suspected drunk driving.

He had not.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, Thomas was the passenger and the driver was the person investigated and arrested for DUI. Thomas’ detention arose from his alleged intoxication in public, interference with deputies and the alleged kick during the attempt to detain him. (Global News)

A Rare Public Appearance for a Former Teen Idol

The encounter has attracted considerable attention partly because Thomas has spent much of the past two decades deliberately outside Hollywood’s spotlight.

For millions of television viewers in the 1990s, Thomas was Randy Taylor, the middle son of Tim Allen’s Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor and Patricia Richardson’s Jill Taylor on ABC’s Home Improvement.

Thomas joined the sitcom as a child and appeared throughout most of its enormously successful run, becoming one of the most recognizable young actors of the decade.

His popularity extended far beyond television.

Thomas voiced young Simba in Disney’s 1994 animated blockbuster The Lion King, giving him a role in one of the most successful animated films of its era.

His movie credits during the height of his fame also included Man of the House, Tom and Huck, The Adventures of Pinocchio, Wild America and the holiday comedy I’ll Be Home for Christmas. (NBC Los Angeles)

At a time when child stars regularly transitioned into increasingly public adult careers, Thomas largely went in the opposite direction.

Thomas Walked Away From the Hollywood Spotlight

Thomas reduced his acting workload while still young and increasingly focused on education and life away from entertainment.

He later studied at Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Explaining his decision years later, Thomas said he had essentially been working nonstop since childhood and wanted an opportunity to attend school, travel and experience life outside the entertainment industry. (Los Angeles Times)

His acting appearances became increasingly sporadic.

Thomas eventually reunited professionally with his former Home Improvement television father Tim Allen through guest appearances on Allen’s later sitcom Last Man Standing. He also directed episodes of the series.

But unlike many former child actors from his era, Thomas never built his adult life around maintaining a constant celebrity presence.

He has rarely been seen publicly in recent years, which made news of the Westlake Village incident particularly unexpected.

He Recently Reunited With ‘Home Improvement’ Cast Members

Thomas had surfaced publicly again before the incident through a reunion with former Home Improvement cast members.

Patricia Richardson recently shared a photograph with Thomas and Taran Noah Smith, who played youngest brother Mark Taylor on the sitcom.

The reunion attracted attention because Thomas has made so few public appearances in recent years.

For fans who remember the actor primarily from his years as Randy Taylor and as the voice of young Simba, the new law-enforcement allegations represent a dramatically different kind of headline.

But the legal status of the case remains unsettled.

No Charges Filed Yet

The most important question now is what prosecutors decide to do with the Sheriff’s Department’s allegations.

Authorities say Thomas repeatedly interfered with deputies during a DUI investigation, appeared intoxicated and kicked a deputy in the stomach as they attempted to detain him.

Thomas was taken into custody, booked and spent the night in jail before being released Tuesday. (Global News)

But being booked is not the same thing as being formally charged or convicted.

As of the latest reporting, no criminal complaint had been filed against Thomas. The case is expected to be reviewed by prosecutors, who will determine whether the evidence supports filing criminal charges. (ABC7 Los Angeles)

That makes the next step significant.

For now, what is established is that Thomas was the passenger in a vehicle involved in a DUI investigation, deputies detained him after an escalating encounter, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department alleges he kicked one of its deputies in the stomach.

Whether that allegation ultimately becomes a criminal case will depend on what prosecutors decide after reviewing the evidence.