After crashing his SUV final week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his telephone and informed a deputy, „I used to be simply speaking to the president,“ in accordance with physique digicam footage launched Thursday exhibiting the golfer’s arrest on a DUI cost.
The telephone dialog was not captured on video, however Woods might be heard saying, „Thanks a lot,“ as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn’t clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is courting Woods.
Shortly after the golfer’s March 27 arrest, Trump was requested about Woods and informed reporters: „I really feel so badly. He is received some issue. Very shut buddy of mine. He is a tremendous individual. Wonderful man. However some issue.“
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon whether or not Trump spoke to Woods after the crash.
The footage additionally reveals how Woods gave the impression to be astonished as he was handcuffed after failing a area sobriety check and reveals deputies eradicating two tablets from his pocket. Separate footage from the again seat of the patrol automobile reveals the handcuffed golfer hiccuping, yawning and repeatedly showing to nod off throughout the 15-minute trip.
Woods informed authorities that he was his telephone and altering the radio station when his rushing Land Rover clipped the again of a truck and rolled onto its facet on a residential street on Jupiter Island. Nobody was injured within the afternoon crash.
„I seemed down at my telephone, and rapidly — increase,“ Woods informed an officer as he kneeled on a garden earlier than his arrest.
Bodycam footage reveals Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar conducting a roadside sobriety check and telling Woods: „I do imagine your regular colleges are impaired and also you’re below an unknown substance, so presently, you are below arrest for DUI.“
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„I am being arrested?“ Woods responded.
„Sure, sir,“ Levenar stated.
After handcuffing Woods, authorities searched his pockets and located two white tablets.
„That is a Norco,“ Woods stated after an officer pulled out the tablets, referring to a painkiller that accommodates acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. Authorities later confirmed that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.
Within the bodycam footage, Woods informed Levenar that he had not had any alcohol and that he had taken „a couple of“ medicines earlier within the day, although Woods‘ phrases are muted within the launched video as he describes among the medicine.
On the sheriff’s workplace advanced, after Woods was escorted into the „DUI room“ the place drivers are examined for being below the affect, Woods stated, „I am not drunk. I am on a prescription medicine,“ in accordance with a supplemental sheriff’s workplace report launched Thursday.
Woods, 50, pleaded not responsible Tuesday to driving below the affect. He posted a press release Tuesday evening saying he was stepping away indefinitely „to hunt therapy and give attention to my well being.“
In the course of the area sobriety check, deputies seen Woods limping and sporting a compression sock over his proper knee. Woods defined that he had undergone seven again surgical procedures and over 20 surgical procedures on his proper leg and that his ankle seizes up whereas he’s strolling.
Woods, who was hiccuping throughout questioning, constantly moved his head throughout one of many sobriety checks, and deputies needed to inform him a number of instances to maintain it straight, an arrest report stated.
„Based mostly on my observations of Woods, how he carried out the workouts and based mostly on my coaching, data, and expertise, I believed that Woods regular colleges had been impaired, and he was unable to soundly function the motorcar,“ Levenar wrote.
On Thursday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Workplace added a cost of careless driving, which is a shifting violation below Florida regulation. Woods was fined $163.
The bodycam footage confirmed Rob McNamara, Woods‘ longtime supervisor and shut buddy, and an unknown member of Woods‘ safety staff arriving on the scene shortly after the crash. When a Jupiter Island police officer requested Woods if there was something he wanted out of his SUV, he answered: „My sticks.“
„I perceive,“ the officer stated. „They’re price greater than my home.“
„Proper, the putter is price greater than all of our homes,“ McNamara stated jokingly earlier than Woods defined to the officer that he had used the putter to win 14 majors.
The officer requested Woods if he was planning to play within the Masters.
„I am hoping to,“ Woods stated.
„That is as much as y’all,“ certainly one of Woods‘ safety officers informed the police officer.
Woods is essentially the most influential determine in golf and has change into as recognizable as any athlete on the earth. The primary individual of Black heritage to win the Masters in 1997, he has captivated golf followers with information possible by no means to be damaged.
However he has been saved from engaging in extra due to his accidents, together with these suffered in a 2021 Los Angeles automobile crash that broken his proper leg so badly that he stated docs thought of amputation. He has not performed an official occasion for the reason that 2024 Open Championship. He was recovering from a seventh again surgical procedure in October and was attempting to return on the Masters, the place he’s a five-time champion.
After final week’s crash, Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer check that confirmed no indicators of alcohol, however he refused a urine check, authorities stated. He was arrested and launched on bail eight hours later.
Underneath a change to Florida regulation final yr, refusing an officer’s request to take a breath, blood or urine check is a misdemeanor, even for a primary offense.
ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and The Related Press contributed to this report.
