Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for speeding in his horse-drawn carriage in Washington, D.C., in 1872 while he was the sitting president. He was stopped by police officer William H. West for racing his buggy at an unsafe speed. After a warning on one day, Grant was caught speeding again the next day near the White House, leading to his arrest. He paid a $20 bond but did not appear for trial, forfeiting the bond. This incident, if historical, makes Grant the only U.S. president to have been arrested while in office. The officer who arrested him was a former enslaved person and Civil War veteran, which has been noted as a symbol of the rule of law.
Grant was known for his fondness for horses and buggy racing, which led to this speeding violation. Despite his high office, he reportedly accepted the arrest with humility and did not use his presidential status to evade the consequences.