India, Sept. 24 -- Former child television star Jonathan Taylor Thomas was briefly detained by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department early Monday morning after a routine traffic stop escalated in Southern California.

The 45-year-old actor, best known for his prominent role on the popular 1990s sitcom "Home Improvement," was taken into custody in Westlake Village on suspicion of obstructing and resisting an executive officer. The incident marks a highly unusual public controversy for the famously reclusive actor, who has largely avoided the US entertainment spotlight for over two decades.

The confrontation unfolded shortly after midnight when patrol deputies initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and T...