Kiefer Sutherland was charged with assault Thursday for an alleged late-night altercation at Manhattan nightclub.

The actor had turned himself in to New York City police station for questioning about a fashion designer's claim that the actor head-butted him at a nightclub earlier in the day.

Sutherland arrived in a Lincoln Town Car on Thursday with his lawyers. He did not speak to reporters as he entered the precinct house in lower Manhattan.

"He's owning up to what he did, and probably wants to spare everyone — and himself — a drawn-out affair," a source told the New York Post.

According to multiple reports, the "24" star head-butted designer Jack McCollough, who is half of the Proenza Schouler fashion house, at a bar early Tuesday morning in New York City.

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The Huffington Post cited two sources saying Sutherland's head hit McCoullough so hard, he broke the designer's nose.

A rep for McCollough told People that "all we can say at this point is that [McCoullough] was the victim of a vicious, violent, unprovoked assault and that the matter is in the hands of the authorities."

PHOTOS: Exclusive Vogue.com photos from Monday night's big event.

The New York Post quoted an eyewitness saying "Sutherland was really drunk and he got accidentally bumped by McCollough. They started arguing and then he just head-butted him."

Another source told the paper Sutherland was seen at Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar earlier in the evening "running around wearing a giant feather boa and acting totally crazy. He was dancing feverishly and twirling people around all over the place."

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To make things even more interesting, Sutherland's alleged head-first had something to do with Brooke Shields, who, along with Sutherland and McCoullough, had attended the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum Monday night.

Shields also starred with Sutherland in the 1996 film "Freeway."

The New York Post says McCoullough may have bumped into Sutherland while he was talking to Shields. Shields' rep told TMZ that McCoullough "did absolutely nothing to her."

Sutherland's rep would not comment.

Brooke Shields often wears Proenza Schouler designs, but wore a Calvin Klein gown to the Monday night Gala.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.