Sportscaster Warner Wolf Arrested for Allegedly Removing a Sign with Racist Connotations
Longtime sportscaster Warner Wolf has been arrested for allegedly taking down a sign that spelled out “plantation,” at his gated community in Florida, multiple outlets have reported.
Wolf, 81, allegedly found the name of his private community — Classic Plantation Estates in Naples — offensive and wanted the words removed, TMZ and the Miami Herald reported.
Plantations are historically remembered in the South as estates that used slave labor.
Police were called to the gated community on Dec. 15 after residents complained about the vandalized sign, the Miami Herald reported.
When they arrived, authorities found “the damaged sign was in a water fountain,” according to a police report by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, obtained by the Miami Herald.
“The individual letters spelling ‘Plantation’ appeared to have been intentionally broken off of both sides of the sign,” the report read.
Wolf — who is famous for the catchphrase “let’s go to the videotape” — was also allegedly captured on surveillance footage chipping the sign off from the community’s front gate.
In the clip, a man can be seen removing letters with a tool, The Miami Herald reported.
Prior to the incident, Wolf had repeatedly complained about the name of the community to his homeowners’ association, according to the HOA President Kevin McDonald, The Miami Herald reported.
McDonald explained Wolf was a “vocal critic” and brought up the idea of changing the name in many meetings, The Miami Herald reported.
After interviewing witnesses and analyzing the surveillance footage, a warrant was issued for Wolf’s arrest.
On Thursday Feb. 7, Wolf turned himself in to the Naples Jail Center and booked on a charge of criminal mischief resulting in damages of more than $1,000, NBC News reported.
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He was released the same day after posting $5,000 bond, NBC News reported. An attorney for Wolf could not immediately be found.
Wolf previously worked for ABC sports on Monday Night Baseball and covered the Olympics.
He later worked as a local sportscaster with WABC-TV in New York and WCBS-TV.
He is also the author of the books Let’s Go to the Videotape, named after his infamous phrase, and Give Me a Break.
