Phoenix Open attendee in viral video hurls slurs, Nazi symbolism
A man who was banned from the Phoenix Open after being caught on video calling for violence against Mexicans, displaying neo-Nazi symbols, and using racial slurs, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, according to Scottsdale police.
Brandtbert J. Brudenell, 19, was arrested Thursday evening at TPC Scottsdale and booked on suspicion of criminal trespassing, refusing to provide his name truthfully, and underage alcohol consumption, Scottsdale police told The Arizona Republic. According to police, Brudenell was found walking near the 2nd hole after the course had closed and refused to leave. Security personnel reported that he attempted to flee from them before officers arrived.
Police told The Arizona Republic that Brudenell is the man seen in a viral video filmed at the Phoenix Open, where he talks about his belief that Mexicans at the border should have their throats “sliced,” shortly after saying “Heil Hitler” and appearing to mimic white supremacist rhetoric.
In the video, Brudenell adds the N-word to “border-hopping” when referring to Mexicans. Moments earlier, he used a slur against Mexicans and Mexican Americans. When confronted by the off-camera women filming him, he responds with insults, calling them “fat girl, fat girl” and “dumb— b——.”
He also says “1444” in the video. According to the Anti-Defamation League, white supremacists frequently use the numerical code “1488.” The “14” represents the white supremacist slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” The “88” serves as a numerical stand-in for “Heil Hitler,” as “H” is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
Brudenell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Having gone viral, the explicit video was shared on different social media platforms, including Thursday on the Instagram account thesquarephoenix. By Saturday morning, the video had been removed on that account but was still up on Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza’s Instagram account.
It is unclear when the video was filmed or by whom.
Companies respond to ‘abhorrent’ video
Scottsdale police spokesperson Sgt. Allison Sempsis told The Republic that officers encountered Brudenell after the video was filmed. Police are seeking to understand the circumstances surrounding the footage and would like to speak with the person who recorded it, Sempsis said.
According to Sempsis, the Phoenix Open informed police that Brudenell had been banned from the event and would be treated as a trespasser if he returned.
In a statement to The Republic, the Phoenix Open confirmed that the man in the video was an attendee and condemned his hate speech as “unacceptable and not representative of our fans, players, and organizers.” The statement also referenced the event’s organizer, The Thunderbirds civic group, and its corporate sponsor, Waste Management.
“The Thunderbirds, WM and the PGA TOUR have a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech in any form and have banned the individual from the premises and all future PGA TOUR events,” read the statement.
Vivint, a home security company with Phoenix-area locations, told The Republic on Friday that the man was fired upon him being identified as an employee of less than three months following an investigation prompted by the video. The man is seen in the video wearing a black cap with the Vivint logo.
“This behavior is abhorrent and in no way reflects the values of our brand,” read a company statement.
Neither Vivint or the Phoenix Open identified the man in the video by name.
Brudenell is also seen wearing a green shirt with a black logo that appears to be from The Raven Club, a private golf course located on East Baseline Road between 40th and South 32nd streets in Phoenix.
As of Friday night, the club had not responded to requests for comment or confirmed whether Brudenell was affiliated with them as a member or employee.
Pushback against similar incidents
In recent weeks, there have been instances across the country where individuals have received backlash for expressing perceived neo-Nazi or racist sympathies.
Calvin Robinson was defrocked as a priest by the Anglican Catholic Church following a Washington, D.C., appearance where he appeared to mimic Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO had raised his right hand during a Jan. 20 rally for President Donald Trump’s inauguration, a gesture widely interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute.Laura Smith resigned from the Towamencin Township Board of Supervisors in Pennsylvania after a video she posted on social media showed her smiling as she did a salute similar to Musk’s.
The ADL initially dismissed Musk’s actions as an “awkward gesture.” However, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt later condemned Musk’s use of Nazi references as puns on his social media platform X, calling it “inappropriate and offensive.”
Marko Elez, a 25-year-old staff member in Musk’s federal Department of Government Efficiency, resigned after controversial posts he made on X were uncovered. Over the past few months, Elez shared messages such as “Normalize Indian hate” and “Just for the record, I was racist before it was cool.” His posts also supported eugenics in immigration policy and advocated for the repeal of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
On Friday, Musk announced in a post on X that he was reinstating Elez.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Open’s viral video of racist tirade was before man’s arrest
