Story Archive

What a Drag

“I heard a bunch of loud noises, looked outside,” witness Aaron Esagoff said. “I saw a Ferrari coming down the street really fast.” The Ferrari and a Porsche were racing through Beverly Hills, Calif., and several residents recorded the action on their phones. Police tracked down the Ferrari’s owner: Shiek Khalid Hamad Al-Thani. Al-Thani is from Qatar and told the police he has diplomatic immunity. Police, however, doubt his claims to immunity, and also believe he has left the country. “Our federal counterparts with the U.S. Department of State have been in contact with the Qatari Consulate to convey the city’s perspective of the incident and our outrage,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said. “What I do know is you can’t claim diplomatic immunity if you don’t have it, and you can’t use that as an excuse to jeopardize the public or commit crimes.” Police acknowledge that the most serious charge Al-Thani faces is reckless driving — a misdemeanor. (MS/Washington Post, KABC Los Angeles) ...Like the car, there’s a whole lot of noise being made for a “nothing” charge.