Sha’Carri Richardson appears to plead with an officer to avoid her arrest in bodycam video

Shakari Richardson Arrested for Reckless Driving

Body camera footage has emerged showing Olympic gold medalist sprinter Shakari Richardson pleading with a police officer not to arrest her for reckless driving.

Sergeant Gerald McDaniels, while driving, noticed Richardson flashing her lights at another driver and clocked her Aston Martin going over 164 mph on State Route 429 in Winter Garden, Florida. Officers had to reach speeds of at least 110 mph just to catch up with her.

As he approached the car, Sergeant McDaniels warned, “I’m going to wipe that smile off your face. You are being stopped for dangerously speeding.”

Richardson claimed that the rear tire pressure was low and that her phone had slipped, causing the car to accelerate unexpectedly. McDaniels was not convinced by her explanation.

He stated, “Driving 164 mph in a 65 mph zone… you’re going to jail for dangerous speeding.” When Richardson insisted she wasn’t aware she was speeding, the sergeant retorted, “That’s why you gave me the speedometer.”

Richardson, who previously faced legal issues, insisted she was a law-abiding citizen. She was arrested last year for assaulting her girlfriend and was barred from competing in the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive marijuana test.

Upon realizing the situation, Richardson began to plead, “Please, I wasn’t really intentionally speeding. Sir, please. I promise you, I don’t want to go to jail.”

A police report noted that another Olympian, Christian Coleman, arrived at the scene but refused to identify himself and was arrested for resisting arrest. The report also mentioned that his car contained smoking materials. Another athlete, Twanisha Terry, was present as well.

Last year, Richardson and Coleman managed to navigate a public incident at an airport just a week before the U.S. Track and Field Championships, where Coleman expressed a desire to distance himself from the chaos.

Richardson has achieved significant success, winning gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2024 Paris Games and the 100m at the 2023 World Championships. Both she and Coleman claimed world titles in the 4x100m in 2023 and 2025.