Shia LaBeouf has said he is seeking help for addiction as he publicly apologised to the police officers he hurled abuse at during his arrest.

He admitted on Wednesday that he has hit a “new low” after police released footage of him ranting about race and threatening an officer with his “millionaire lawyers”.

The 31-year-old was arrested in Savannah, Georgia, in the early hours of July 8 for “using profanities and vulgar language” after being denied a cigarette, according to police.

LaBeouf released a statement to Twitter saying he is “deeply ashamed” of his behaviour.

“I don’t know if these statements are too frequent, or not shared often enough, but I am certain that my actions warrant a very sincere apology to the arresting officers, and I am grateful for their restraint,” he said.

“It is a new low. A low I hope is a bottom. I have been struggling with addiction publicly for far too long, and I am actively taking steps toward securing my sobriety and hope I can be forgiven for my mistakes.”

Footage released the day before showed him making a gun threat and repeatedly calling an officer a “dumb f***” and a “stupid bitch”.

Shia LaBeouf Arrest
Shia LaBeouf’s mugshot (Chatham County Sheriff’s Office/AP)

He was also seen telling a black officer: “You’ve got a president who don’t give a shit about you and you’re stuck in a police force that don’t give a f*** about you. So you want to arrest white people who give a f***, who ask for cigarettes?”

LaBeouf, who has been bailed, became abusive to a stranger and a police officer who denied his request for a cigarette, according to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police.

He became disorderly and aggressive to the officer before running off to a nearby hotel where he was arrested at 4am, the force added.

The actor, who was in the area filming The Peanut Butter Falcon, was charged with obstruction, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.