Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said his 2014 arrest for driving under the influence was a result of police profiling him as a “rich, white billionaire.”
Irsay, 64, gave his view during a sit-down interview with Andrea Kremer on “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” which aired Tuesday night.
“I am prejudiced against because I’m a rich, white billionaire,” Irsay said. “If I’m just the average guy down the block, they’re not pulling me in, of course not.”
When Kremer asked Irsay how he thought his comment would be received, the latter doubled down on his stance.
“I don’t care what it sounds like,” Irsay said. “It’s the truth. … I could give a damn what people think how anything sounds or sounds like. The truth is the truth, and I know the truth.”
Irsay pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. When asked why he pleaded guilty if he felt he was being profiled, Irsay said he wanted to put the matter to bed.
Officers from The Carmel (Ind.) Police Department said Irsay had difficulty reciting the alphabet and failed other field sobriety tests after being pulled over in March 2014.
Irsay told HBO Sports that he failed the tests because he was just coming off hip surgery.
“The arrest was wrong,” he said. “I had just had hip surgery, and had been in the car for 45 minutes. And what — they asked me to walk the line? Are you kidding me? I can barely walk at all.”
The Carmel Police Department offered the following statement to the Indianapolis Star:
“We are very sorry to hear that comment about our officers and our department,” it read. “We have a very professional agency consisting of officers that strive to protect our community with integrity and professionalism.”
–Field Level Media
