NASHVILLE,
Tenn. – Two-time Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White has apologized for
the "unwise choices" he made that left him facing charges of public
intoxication and vandalism.
Police
responded to the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville at 2 a.m. Sunday after reports of a
drunken man, identified as White, who pulled a fire alarm. The hotel was forced to
evacuate all guests. An employee also reported seeing White destroy a hotel phone.
White
tried to leave the hotel in a cab before being stopped by a hotel guest who
told the driver police had been called. According to police, White kicked at
the man before running away. The man chased him and they collided when White
turned around. White, who is also one of the world's top skateboarders, fell
back and hit his head against a fence, police said.
Officials
said White was given the opportunity to sign misdemeanor
citations and refused.
A spokeswoman
for Baptist Hospital said White was treated there and released on Monday before
being arrested and booked by police. A mug shot released by police shows White
with a black eye.
White was
released by police late Monday afternoon on his own recognizance. His court
date was set for October 10.
His manager
had no immediate comment when reached by The Associated Press, although White said Tuesday on his Facebook page he wanted to apologize
for "any inconvenience it caused my family, friends, business partners,
the hotel and their guests."
He
added that he was "celebrating a happy occasion with a ton of family and
friends and got carried away. I'm truly sorry for my poor behavior."
White won a gold medal in Turin at the 2006 Olympics and in 2010 at the
Vancouver Games, and he is an action sports superstar whether skateboarding
during the summer or snowboarding in the winter. He's also a multimillionaire
with a clothing line and signature video game who expanded last year with a
company selling skateboards, BMX bikes and other equipment.
White also has cleaned up at the Winter X Games, winning medals every year
since 2002.
(NewsChannel5 and The Associated Press.)
