He was a bad ass in Reservoir Dogs, and cops say he was a bad ass with his own son.

That's the story told about actor Michael Madsen over the weekend by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Officials there said he was arrested Friday afternoon.

Deputies said in a statement that the 54-year-old …

… appeared under the influence of alcohol got into a physical altercation with his teenage son.

The kid was okay, officials said.

TMZ reported that Madsen was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and cruelty to a child. He was held in lieu of $100,000, according to sheriff's officials, but bailed out.

He later told TMZ the situation was a big “misunderstanding.”

Sheriff's inmate data indicates a separate arrest for Madsen on Wednesday, an item that put him behind bars in lieu of $5,000 bail before his release a few hours later.

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His last arrest came Friday at 2:15 p.m., according to the sheriff's department. Where was it? “Residence in the city of Malibu … ,” reads the statement.

(While most other press releases include a block location and actual allegations, celebrities are clearly special for Teflon Sheriff Lee Baca's department. See Mel Gibson, et. al.).

In any case, Madsen's family problems add up to a felony accusation, according to TMZ.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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