Qatari Sheikh Khalid Hamad Al-Thani said “f**k America” after being arrested in Beverly Hills for drag racing on Saturday. The sheikh claimed diplomatic immunity and soon took his expensive cars and left the United States.
Sheikh Khalid Hamad Al-Thani was speeding around the streets of Beverly Hills in a $1.4 million Ferrari and a Porsche, according to a video reviewed by local police chief Dominick Rivetti. The cars were allegedly driving at speeds of around 80 mph during the afternoon when children were playing outdoors.
Sheikh Khalid Hamad Al-Thani may be part of the Thani dynasty that rules Qatar, but the police have not yet confirmed whether or not the Beverly Hills drag racing suspect is a member of the royal family, the Daily Mail reports. Al-Thani allegedly revved his engine and screeched his tires as he blew past a stop sign in the affluent neighborhood.
The drag racing video also reportedly shows the face of the driver of the Ferrari, smoke rising from the car’s engine, as it slows to pull into a driveway. The video quickly went viral on social media. The Sheikh Khalid Hama Al-Thani incident sparked international headlines after the Beverly Hills police announced the suspect claimed diplomatic immunity. The home the Sheikh was allegedly pulling into is an 8,895 square foot home which rents for $45,000 per month.
Jacob Rogers, a video journalist, said the man driving the Ferrari confronted him when he pulled into the driveway and saw that he was being recorded.
“He told me verbatim, ‘I could have you killed and get away with it,’ Rogers said. “I told him, ‘the press is allowed to be here on the sidewalk on a public street.’ He said, ‘F*** America’ and threw a cigarette at me.”
https://youtu.be/x4wIYM88uyM
Sheikh Al-Thani was recently staying at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, according to the Los Angeles Times . The Qatari man is reportedly in his late 20s and has allegedly spent $10 million a year sponsoring the Al-Anabi Racing drag racing team. He has allegedly been driving when he was 12.
“It’s against a federal law for someone to claim diplomatic immunity when they don’t have it, so we’re looking at that and then we’re also looking at the reckless driving,” Beverly Hills Police Department representative Lieutenant Lincoln Hoshino said.
Lt. Hoshino also said that the Ferrari was not registered with the State Department to be brought into the United States. Beverly Hills police officers are still investigating the drag racing incident and reviewing the video for additional suspects. The Qatar Consulate in Los Angeles as not responded to calls requesting a comment on the incident.
[Images via Facebook and YouTube screengrab]
