BOULDER, Colo. - Former child star Brian Bonsall, who played Andy Keaton in "Family Ties," was given two years probation Friday under an agreement reached with prosecutors. 

Bonsall, 25, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault but three other charges against him were dismissed.

He was arrested in March after his girlfriend told police he poured an alcoholic drink on her face while she slept, put her in a choke hold and threw her onto a bed when she tried to leave.

Bonsall told investigators he pushed her down in self-defense after she cut his arm and face with a steak knife. She denied the claim and wasn't charged in the case.

Bonsall's lawyer, Paul McCormick, said Bonsall went through a 30-day rehab program and has been sober for over five months. Prosecutor Peter Maguire said Bonsall has been compliant with sobriety monitoring.

McCormick said Bonsall, who is working in construction and playing in a band, has gotten back together with his girlfriend and they are in couples counseling.

Bonsall appeared in three seasons of "Family Ties," the NBC sitcom that helped launch Michael J. Fox's career. He later appeared in episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the 1993 film "Father Hood."

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Former child star in Boulder County Jail

Brian Bonsall of 'Family Ties' accused of domestic violence 
Friday, March 30, 2007 

A former "Family Ties" child star was arrested this week on suspicion of domestic violence.

Brian Bonsall, 25, faces possible charges of felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor false imprisonment after his girlfriend told police that he poured an alcoholic drink in her face as she slept, put her in a choke hold and threw her onto a bed several times when she tried to leave.

Bonsall remains at the Boulder County Jail in lieu of a $5,000 bond and is expected to be formally charged Tuesday.

His girlfriend, Lindsay Dunavan, called police at 6:35 a.m. Wednesday to the apartment she shares with Bonsall at 2800 Balsam Ave. When officers arrived, Bonsall said he threw his girlfriend down in self-defense because she came at him with a steak knife and cut his arm and face. Dunavan, 26, denied slashing Bonsall.

Police initially arrested the couple but "un-arrested" Dunavan about an hour later, according to a police report.

Boulder police Detective Colleen Wilcox said Thursday that it became questionable whether enough probable cause existed to arrest Dunavan after further investigation, and officers were looking at Bonsall as the "prominent aggressor" in the case.

Wilcox said they are unsure how Bonsall received his injuries.

Bonsall was arrested in 2004 on suspicion of drinking and driving after police say he suddenly stopped his gray SUV near the intersection of Broadway and College Avenue as a passenger stuck his head out the window and vomited. When police asked how much Bonsall, who was driving, had been drinking, he replied, "Plenty" — half a pint of Jim Beam, the officer's report said.

His driver's license previously had been revoked for an alcohol offense in 2001.

Bonsall's arrest history also includes two allegations of failure to appear in court for underage drinking in Broomfield and Boulder counties, according to police records.

His name also appears in four other Boulder police reports involving allegations of domestic violence and assault from 2002 and 2004, but no arrests were made. Those records were not available Thursday.

Bonsall starred as Andy Keaton on "Family Ties" from 1986 to 1989 alongside Michael J. Fox and later appeared on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." He also had several movie roles in the 1990s, including "Blank Check" and "Mikey," according to TV.com.

His latest police report stated he is unemployed.

[ Open Letter to Brian Bonsall ]