A body camera footage has been released on Thursday showing golfer Tiger Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge after he crashed his SUV last week in Florida. After the crash, he took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the President.”
However, the phone conversation has not been captured on video, but the former world No. 1 golfer could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It is still not clear if Woods was referring to President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods.
Asked about Woods, shortly after the golfer’s arrest on March 27, Trump told reporters: “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”
According to media reports, the White House is yet to respond to a request for comment whether Trump spoke to Woods after the crash.
The video shows that Woods looked shocked when he was put in handcuffs after failing a sobriety test. In another clip from inside the police car, he can be seen hiccupping, yawning and almost dozing off during the 15-minute ride.
Woods told the police that he was using his phone and changing the radio when his speeding Land Rover hit the back of a truck and overturned on a residential road on Jupiter Island.
“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods told an officer as he knelt on a lawn, prior to his arrest.
Body camera footage shows Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Tatiana Levenar carrying out a roadside sobriety test and speaking to Woods. “I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, and you’re under an unknown substance, so at this time you’re under arrest for DUI.”
“I’m being arrested?” Woods responded.
“Yes, sir,” Levenar said.
After handcuffing Woods, police found two white pills from his pocket.
“That’s a Norco,” Woods said after an officer pulled out the pills, referring to a painkiller that contains acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone. It was later confirmed by the authorities that Woods was in possession of hydrocodone.
Body camera footage shows Woods telling Deputy Tatiana Levenar that he had not consumed any alcohol. He said he had taken “a few” medications earlier in the day, though parts of what he said about the medicines are muted in the video.
Later, at the sheriff’s office, Woods was taken to a room where drivers are tested for being under the influence. There, he again said he was not drunk and explained that he was on prescription medication, according to an official report.
Woods, 50, has pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence. In a statement, he said he would be stepping away for some time to focus on his health and seek treatment.
He agreed to take a breath test, which showed no alcohol in his system. However, he refused to give a urine sample. Under Florida law, refusing such tests is considered a misdemeanor, even for a first-time offence.
During the roadside test, officers noticed that Woods was limping and wearing a compression sock on his right knee. He told them he had undergone several back surgeries and more than 20 procedures on his right leg, and that his ankle often locks while walking.
Police also noted that Woods was hiccupping during questioning and had trouble keeping his head still during one of the tests. Officers had to remind him multiple times to keep his head straight.
Based on his behaviour and performance during the tests, Deputy Levenar said she believed Woods was not in a condition to safely drive.
Woods is one of the biggest names in golf and is known worldwide. He made history in 1997 as the first Black golfer to win the Masters and has set records that may never be broken.
However, injuries have affected his career in recent years. A serious car accident in Los Angeles in 2021 badly injured his right leg, and he has said doctors even considered amputation at the time. He has not played in an official event since the 2024 British Open and has been recovering from another back surgery, hoping to return to the Masters, a tournament he has won five times.
