TV's 'CSI' star Gary Dourdan faces drug charges

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Gary Dourdan, who co-stars on the CBS television hit "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," has been arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine, heroin and other drugs, police said on Tuesday.

Dourdan, 41, was detained by police in the desert resort town of Palm Springs, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles, after he was found asleep in the driver's seat of a parked car before dawn on Monday, according to a police press release.

The car had been parked on the wrong side of the street with the interior light left on, and Dourdan appeared to be disoriented and "possibly under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs" when approached by an officer, the statement said.

The officer found substances believed to be cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and various prescription drugs, as well as drug paraphernalia, police said.

Dourdan was arrested, booked for possession of narcotics and dangerous drugs and jailed for about five hours before he was released on $5,000 bail, police said.

A native of Philadelphia, Dourdan got his start on the TV sitcom "A Different World" -- a spinoff of the "Cosby Show" -- and later had a recurring role on the Showtime cable network series "Soul Food."

He also starred in the 1997 film "Alien: Resurrection."

But he is best known for his role as forensics investigator Warrick Brown on "CSI," which has ranked as CBS' top-rated show, and the most watched drama on U.S. television, for much of its run. Last week's episode drew 17 million viewers.

Dourdan, whose character was implicated in the murder of a local gang member in recent episodes, is slated to leave the series in May, at the end of its eighth season.

A CBS spokesman said the network had no comment on how Dourdan's recent arrest might affect production of the show. The actor's agent was not immediately available for comment.