American Idol winner Laine Hardy recently revealed he led a police chase through the backroads and woods of north-central Louisiana, and it ended with him in handcuffs.

"They put me in the back of a cop car and the handcuffs really hurt my wrists," he says. "I think I was crying. I’m pretty sure I was crying."

What started as two police officers chasing a 16-year-old on a four-wheeler ended up as eight officers watching as he meekly walked out of the swamp after hitting a rut. Hardy had just put new tires on his ride, but he sped past two cop cars on his way to his friend's house. He tells it better — fast forward to about 2:45 in the video above to hear the full story.

“I pulled in my buddy's driveway and I was still going 54 (MPH) down the driveway," Hardy tells Taste of Country Nights. "I passed his house, his parents were outside drinking coffee and I was still trying to figure out what they were thinking when I passed them with two cops behind me with sirens on."

That story is just one of several things the "Ground I Grew Up On" singer shared during a recent interview (full interview below) Hardy isn't a bad boy, per se, but he's clearly found his share of mischief.

"One of the cops ran through the woods and he had mud up over his ankle gun and he was kind of mad," the 19-year-old adds with a chuckle.

Look for Hardy to perform on American Idol on Sunday (May 10) at 8PM ET on ABC. Since winning in 2019 he's been working with Nashville songwriters and producer Michael Knox in crafting his debut project.

See the Top 20 Finalists on American Idol, Season 18:

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