Sutherland charged with assault

Kiefer Sutherland has been charged with assault for allegedly head-butting a clothing designer at a nightclub Monday night. New York police said the charges were filed after Sutherland spoke to investigators at a police station in lower Manhattan on Thursday.

It's still unclear whether the new New York-based charge will trigger a penalty from his California-based parole. One source close to the actor dismissed the incident as being overblown by the press, and said they expect any penalty to be minor enough to allow Sutherland to commence production on 24 at the end of the month.

Sutherland reported to the precinct house in a Lincoln Town Car alongside his lawyers, but he did not make a statement. The designer, Jack McCollough, claims Sutherland attacked him after an argument, leaving him with a cut on his face. -- With addditional reporting by the AP