Jim Irsay says he was targeted by police during his 2014 arrest ... emphatically believing cops were prejudiced against him because he's "a rich, white billionaire."

The Indianapolis Colts owner made the eyebrow-raising statements to Andrea Kremer during an interview with HBO Sports that aired earlier this week.

In their chat, Kremer asked Irsay if his DUI arrest in Carmel, Ind. some nine years ago was a "low point" for him ... and a few seconds later, he sounded off.

"I am prejudiced against because I'm a rich, white billionaire," Irsay told her. "If I'm just the average guy down the block, they're not pulling me in, of course not."

Carmel police had said at the time of the arrest they stopped Irsay for, among other things, driving too slowly as well as failing to use his turn signal. They eventually put him in cuffs after they claimed he failed their sobriety tests.

Dashcam footage from the scene appeared to show Irsay having trouble walking while talking with cops outside of his car. Cops say toxicology results, meanwhile, showed he had multiple painkillers in his system, including oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Irsay, however, still told Kremer, "The arrest was wrong."

"I had just had hip surgery, and had been in the car for 45 minutes," he said. "And what -- they asked me to walk the line? Are you kidding me? I can barely walk at all."

Irsay eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated ... and was sentenced to 1 year probation. He told Kremer he only cut the deal with prosecutors because he wanted to get the case "over with."

For the Carmel Police Department's part, it said in a statement to The Indianapolis Star on Tuesday regarding Irsay's allegations, "We are very sorry to hear that comment about our officers and our department."