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Sutherland Asks Court to Toss Uber Suit
Kiefer Sutherland asked a judge to dismiss Rafael Manvelyan's assault lawsuit with prejudice and says he acted in self-defense. The claims are civil allegations he denies. No criminal charge had been filed as of March.
By Crime Talk Network Staff Writer ·
The filing is a request to end a civil case, not a ruling that the driver's account is false. Self-defense is Sutherland's explanation, and the injuries are allegations he denies. The January arrest was on suspicion of criminal threats, and as of March prosecutors still had not filed a charge.
Kiefer Sutherland, 59, has asked a judge to dismiss, with prejudice, a lawsuit by Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan. A dismissal with prejudice would end the case and bar a new filing of the same claims. The judge has not ruled.
Manvelyan claims Sutherland was visibly intoxicated on a January ride in Los Angeles, threatened to kill him, and attacked him while the car was moving. The suit alleges injuries to his head, face, neck, spine, and shoulder. Sutherland's lawyers deny that he was reckless and deny that Manvelyan was hurt. They say any physical contact was self-defense, because Sutherland believed the driver was an immediate threat, and they say the driver refused to stop. They call the suit groundless and brought in bad faith, and they say any distress Manvelyan describes comes from conditions he already had.
Police arrested Sutherland on Jan. 12 near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue on suspicion of felony criminal threats, and he was released on a $50,000 bond. Officers said the driver did not need medical treatment. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office sent the case back to police for more investigation. In March, prosecutors said they were still reviewing new evidence and that no criminal charge had been filed. The lawsuit is a separate civil case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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