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THE SAME WORDS, PRINTED DIFFERENTLYThursday 24 September 2026

4 outlets quote this line 2 different ways.

abc7.com: “appeared intoxicated, continually exited the vehicle and approached the deputies, distracting them from their investigation.”; globalnews.ca: “appeared intoxicated, continually exited the vehicle…

As published

15 pages captured at the time, in each outlet's own typography. Open one to read the copy held outside the publisher's control.

abc7.com as published: Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested, accused of kicking deputy during Westlake Village traffic stopabc7.com2026-09-24 15:42:36cbsaustin.com as published: 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas 'arrested' by police: reportcbsaustin.com2026-09-24 15:42:36evoke.ie as published: Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested after alleged violent eventevoke.ie2026-09-24 15:42:36extratv.com as published: Jonathan Taylor Thomas Detained by Police (Report)extratv.com2026-09-24 15:42:36fox47.com as published: 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas 'arrested' by police: reportfox47.com2026-09-24 15:42:36freep.com as published: 'Home Improvement' actor arrested. What Jonathan Taylor Thomas didfreep.com2026-09-24 15:42:36globalnews.ca as published: ‘Home Improvement’ star Jonathan Taylor Thomas allegedly ‘kicked a deputy’globalnews.ca2026-09-24 15:42:36kdsm17.com as published: 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas 'arrested' by police: reportkdsm17.com2026-09-24 15:42:36ktla.com as published: ‘Home Improvement’ actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested in Westlake Villagektla.com2026-09-24 15:42:36nbclosangeles.com as published: Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested in Malibu traffic stopnbclosangeles.com2026-09-24 15:42:36tmz.com as published: 'Home Improvement' Star Jonathan Taylor Thomas Arrested For Obstructing a Sheriff's Deputytmz.com2026-09-24 15:42:36today.com as published: ‘Home Improvement’ Star Jonathan Taylor Thomas Detained for Obstruction and Public Intoxicationtoday.com2026-09-24 15:42:36turnto10.com as published: 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas 'arrested' by police: reportturnto10.com2026-09-24 15:42:36usatoday.com as published: Jonathan Taylor Thomas arrested, accused of kicking LA deputyusatoday.com2026-09-24 15:42:36wpde.com as published: 'Home Improvement' star Jonathan Taylor Thomas 'arrested' by police: reportwpde.com2026-09-24 15:42:36

Attributed to no one

Quoted verbatim from each outlet's own page. This site records what was published and who it was attributed to. It does not assess whether the claim is true.

evoke.ie

  • Officials have claimed that the actor repeatedly interfered
  • According to a statement seen by People, police noted that the car had stopped at an intersection
  • They claim that the car was blocking traffic

named elsewhere in the same article: officials (unnamed)

extratv.com

  • In a statement, law enforcement told People magazine, 'The driver was being detained for DUI investigation. Sometime during the investigation, Mr. Taylor decided he would exit the vehicle.'

no speaker named anywhere in the article

globalnews.ca

  • according to booking records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, viewed and obtained by Global News

named elsewhere in the same article: police (unnamed)

tmz.com

  • Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the former child star was the passenger in a vehicle
  • according to our law enforcement sources

no speaker named anywhere in the article

turnto10.com

  • Law enforcement confirmed to PEOPLE the 'Home Improvement' star was detained

no speaker named anywhere in the article

Same storyLater: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, former star of 'Home Improvement', was detained by police…Each entry records what was published on its own date and is not edited afterwards.

What this entry found

  • THE SAME WORDS, PRINTED DIFFERENTLY

    3 outlets quote this line 3 different ways.

    • globalnews.ca: “Deputies pulled alongside the vehicle to see if the driver needed assistance, and that’s when they noticed that the driver appeared to be intoxicated,”
    • today.com: “Deputies saw a vehicle stopped at the intersection, with a green light blocking traffic. Deputies pulled alongside the vehicle to see if the driver needed assistance. Deputies noticed the driver was acting odd and appeared to be intoxicated,”
    • usatoday.com: “noticed the driver was acting odd and appeared to be intoxicated.”
  • OUTLETS DISAGREE

    Exact time of arrest: 12:30 a.m. vs. 1:50 a.m. on September 21, 2026

    • nbclosangeles.com (12:30 a.m.)
    • today.com (1:50 a.m.)
    the full text
  • OUTLETS DISAGREE

    Duration of detention: 34 hours vs. approximately 36 hours vs. released 'the following day' (which could be 24-36+ hours)

    • turnto10.com (34 hours)
    • usatoday.com (nearly 36 hours)
    • globalnews.ca (arrested Sept. 21, released Sept. 22 - specific duration not stated)
    the full text
  • ONE SOURCE, MANY MASTHEADS

    15 outlets carried this. They resolve to 11 independent sources.

    A reader sampling these outlets received 11 accounts, not 15.

15outlets→11independent
What happened, for context

Jonathan Taylor Thomas, former 'Home Improvement' star, was arrested on September 21, 2026, in Westlake Village, California, after a vehicle he was riding in was stopped for suspected DUI. According to law enforcement, Thomas, a passenger, repeatedly exited the vehicle and interfered with the investigation, and kicked a deputy in the stomach. He was booked on suspicion of obstruction and public intoxication and released within 36 hours; prosecutors were to review the case for potential charges.

9 of 15 articles were readable. Headline only, no body text retrieved, for: cbsaustin.com, fox47.com, freep.com, kdsm17.com, ktla.com, wpde.com. Nothing below is drawn from those outlets beyond their headline.

Who reported it

  • abc7.comINDEP
    • cbsaustin.comUNCLASSIFIED
    • fox47.comINDEP
    • kdsm17.comINDEP
    • turnto10.comUNCLASSIFIED
    • wpde.comINDEP
    identical copy
  • evoke.ieUNCLASSIFIED
  • extratv.comUNCLASSIFIED
    • freep.comUNCLASSIFIED
    • usatoday.comINDEP
    one owner · Gannett / USA Today Network
  • globalnews.caINDEP
  • ktla.comINDEP
  • nbclosangeles.comUNCLASSIFIED
  • tmz.comUNCLASSIFIED
  • today.comUNCLASSIFIED

References

Carried by multiple outlets

  • Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whose legal name is Jonathan Taylor Weiss, is a former 'Home Improvement' star who was arrested on September 21, 2026abc7.com, evoke.ie, globalnews.ca, nbclosangeles.com, today.com, usatoday.com
  • Thomas was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over in Westlake Village, California, at or near the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Townsgate Roadabc7.com, globalnews.ca, nbclosangeles.com, today.com, usatoday.com
  • The vehicle was stopped because it was blocking traffic at a green lightabc7.com, globalnews.ca, nbclosangeles.com, today.com, usatoday.com
  • Deputies initiated the stop to determine if the driver needed assistanceabc7.com, globalnews.ca, today.com, usatoday.com
  • Deputies noticed the driver appeared intoxicated and conducted a DUI investigationabc7.com, evoke.ie, globalnews.ca, nbclosangeles.com, today.com, usatoday.com
  • Thomas repeatedly exited the vehicle and approached deputies during the investigationabc7.com, evoke.ie, globalnews.ca, nbclosangeles.com, today.com, usatoday.com
  • and 9 more, not shown

Reported by one outlet only

  • Thomas voiced the character of Simba in The Lion Kingonly evoke.ie
  • Thomas was arrested at approximately 12:30 a.m.only nbclosangeles.com
  • Thomas was arrested at 1:50 a.m.only today.com
  • Thomas was held for a total of 34 hours before releaseonly turnto10.com
  • TMZ was the first to report the incidentonly extratv.com
  • Thomas was arrested on suspicion of felony obstruction and public intoxicationonly nbclosangeles.com

Reported unevenly

  • Exact time of arrest: 12:30 a.m. vs. 1:50 a.m. on September 21, 2026stated by nbclosangeles.com (12:30 a.m.), today.com (1:50 a.m.) · absent from abc7.com, evoke.ie, extratv.com, globalnews.ca, tmz.com, turnto10.com, usatoday.com
  • Duration of detention: 34 hours vs. approximately 36 hours vs. released 'the following day' (which could be 24-36+ hours)stated by turnto10.com (34 hours), usatoday.com (nearly 36 hours), globalnews.ca (arrested Sept. 21, released Sept. 22 - specific duration not stated)
  • Whether charges characterized as felony: nbclosangeles.com refers to 'felony obstruction and public intoxication,' while other outlets do not use 'felony' qualifier in relation to these chargesstated by nbclosangeles.com (felony) · absent from abc7.com, evoke.ie, globalnews.ca, today.com, usatoday.com

Not yet confirmed against a primary source

  • Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department statement on arrest time: did they state 12:30 a.m. or 1:50 a.m. on September 21, 2026, or both as separate time references (vehicle stop vs. booking)?
  • Whether LASD characterized the charges (obstruction and public intoxication) as felony charges, as nbclosangeles.com stated but other outlets did not — confirm from official source.
  • Whether 'Malibu traffic stop' (as stated by nbclosangeles.com) is an accurate location descriptor or conflation with the booking station, given that all other sources specify Westlake Village at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Townsgate Road as the stop location.

What was checked, and against what

Nothing here could be settled from a primary source. 3 cannot be established from public sources and are listed below. Every document is linked so you can read the same record we did. Anything not confirmed is listed as such rather than left out.

  • cannot be established Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department statement on arrest time: did they state 12:30 a.m. or 1:50 a.m. on September 21, 2026, or both as separate time references (vehicle stop vs. booking)?The disagreement between outlets is itself the finding. No primary source is needed to report that they differ.
  • cannot be established Whether LASD characterized the charges (obstruction and public intoxication) as felony charges, as nbclosangeles.com stated but other outlets did not — confirm from official source.The difference does not bear on anything this entry claims. It is recorded here so the reader can see it was noticed and set aside deliberately.
  • cannot be established Whether 'Malibu traffic stop' (as stated by nbclosangeles.com) is an accurate location descriptor or conflation with the booking station, given that all other sources specify Westlake Village at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Townsgate Road as the stop location.The difference does not bear on anything this entry claims. It is recorded here so the reader can see it was noticed and set aside deliberately.