Former "Home Improvement" child star Jonathan Taylor Thomas was arrested in California after allegedly refusing deputies' orders during a traffic stop and kicking one of them in the stomach.
Thomas, once one of the most recognizable young actors in America, was booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station in Westlake Village, California, on charges of obstruction and public intoxication, Fox News Digital reported, citing court records the outlet obtained. He was released after booking.
The incident began when deputies stopped a vehicle as part of a DUI investigation. Thomas was a passenger. Law enforcement told People magazine that deputies ordered Thomas to remain inside the car, but he got out anyway.
What followed was a confrontation that ended with the former teen idol in handcuffs. A law enforcement source described the sequence to People magazine:
"The driver was being detained for DUI investigation. Sometime during the investigation, Mr. Taylor decided he would exit the vehicle. Deputies told him to sit back down in the vehicle."
The source continued:
"He was uncooperative with them, failed to follow orders, and obstructed the investigation, so he was arrested for obstruction, and he was arrested for drunk in public."
People magazine also reported that Thomas allegedly kicked a deputy in the stomach during the encounter. Authorities did not disclose the severity of any injuries the deputy may have sustained.
Thomas became a household name playing Randy Taylor, the middle son on ABC's "Home Improvement," which ran for eight seasons. Off the show, he voiced young Simba in Disney's 1994 blockbuster "The Lion King" and appeared in films like "Tom and Huck" and "Man of the House." By the mid-1990s, he was one of the biggest child stars in the country.
But Thomas walked away. He left "Home Improvement" before its final season, his character moved to Costa Rica, and largely disappeared from Hollywood. In a 2013 interview with People, he explained the decision plainly:
"I'd been going nonstop since I was 8 years old. I wanted to go to school, to travel and have a bit of a break."
That break stretched for more than 25 years. Thomas briefly resurfaced between 2013 and 2015, reuniting with his former TV father Tim Allen on "Last Man Standing." He appeared in four episodes and directed three. Then he vanished from the spotlight again.
In July, "Home Improvement" co-star Patricia Richardson posted a reunion photo on Instagram showing herself with Thomas and Taran Noah Smith, who played the youngest Taylor brother, Mark. Richardson captioned the image "My other boys" with a heart emoji, a warm callback for fans of the long-running sitcom.
Shortly after that reunion surfaced, Thomas had his encounter with deputies in Westlake Village. The identity of the driver who was under DUI investigation has not been disclosed. It remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed against Thomas beyond the arrest charges, or whether the deputy he allegedly kicked required medical treatment.
Thomas has not issued a public statement about the arrest. No attorney representing him has commented publicly.
Kicking a law enforcement officer is not a youthful indiscretion, it is conduct that carries real consequences, and ought to, regardless of how famous someone used to be.
