Kiefer Sutherland has challenged an assault lawsuit filed by Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan. The actor maintains that he acted in self-defense during their confrontation.
The actor’s attorneys denied the allegations in court documents reportedly obtained by TMZ. They also asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice.
Kiefer Sutherland claims self-defense and seeks dismissal of Uber driver’s lawsuit
The legal dispute followed a January incident involving Sutherland and Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan, who accused the actor of physically attacking him during a ride.
As per TMZ, Manvelyan alleged that Sutherland appeared intoxicated and became increasingly agitated during the ride.
According to the driver’s complaint, the 24 actor threatened to kill him before allegedly assaulting him while he drove.
Manvelyan claimed that the confrontation caused injuries to his head, face, neck, spine, and shoulder.
However, Sutherland’s attorneys rejected the driver’s account and denied that the actor behaved recklessly or caused the alleged injuries.
They argued that Sutherland acted in self-defense because he believed Manvelyan posed an immediate threat. According to his legal team, any physical contact occurred while he was trying to protect himself.
Sutherland’s attorney previously claimed that Manvelyan refused to stop the vehicle despite repeated requests.
Sutherland’s attorneys also accused Manvelyan of filing the lawsuit in bad faith and without sufficient grounds.
The defense also disputed Manvelyan’s claims of emotional distress. According to the filing, Sutherland’s attorneys argued that any psychological distress may have resulted from preexisting or unrelated conditions.
The legal team also denied that the actor acted maliciously.
Sutherland also asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, which would generally prevent Manvelyan from bringing the same claims again.
The filing marks another development in the legal dispute. However, there has been no confirmed ruling on Sutherland’s dismissal request.
