Louisville officials have revealed the results of an internal investigation into an incident involving the world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler last Friday before the second round of the PGA Championship. The officer who initially interacted with Scheffler was cited by the Louisville Metro Police Department for failing to follow departmental procedures during the arrest. Charges against Scheffler have not been dropped and police have indicated they will let the legal process take its course.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel announced the findings during a news conference Thursday morning.
Detective Bryan Gillis received “corrective action,” in Gwinn-Villaroel’s words, for violating department policy by not turning on his body camera. Greenberg indicated that there is no footage yet available “that captures the initial interaction between LMPD (Det. Gillis) and Mr. Scheffler.”
LMPD has released two videos, neither of which show the initial interaction between Gillis and Scheffler.
In the first video, the car Scheffler was driving can be seen turning left at Valhalla Golf Club on the left side of the screen, followed by a police officer on foot wearing a yellow vest:
The second video shows the incident from a different angle on the other side of the street. Scheffler’s car is visible passing the bus and turning left to enter the club. Two minutes later, Scheffler is led away in handcuffs by police officers.
Both videos clearly show the chaotic scene outside Valhalla, with flashing lights and rain causing visibility and clarity issues.
Neither the Louisville police chief nor the mayor indicated that the charges against Scheffler would be dropped.
“We respect the judicial process,” Gwinn-Villaroel said, “and will allow the courts to proceed accordingly.”
Shortly after the press conference ended, Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, reaffirmed his client’s innocence.
“Our position is the same as last Friday,” Romines said. “Scottie Scheffler did nothing wrong. We are not interested in solving the case. Either we try or it will be discarded.
“…I’ve seen everything there is to see,” he continued. “Everything that’s out there supports exactly what Scottie said from the beginning.”
An arraignment initially scheduled for last Tuesday was postponed until June 3. Scheffler has since traveled to Texas to play in this week’s Charles Schwab Championship. Because he faces a felony charge, he is scheduled to appear in court in Louisville on June 3, the Monday of the Ohio Memorial Tournament.
At around 5am on May 17, outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club, security guard John Mills was killed when a bus hit him. Traffic that followed as police investigated the fatal crash increased in both directions on the only road through Valhalla. Players were allowed into the facility, but when Scheffler showed up around 6 a.m., he was stopped by a police officer at the scene.
What happened next was a source of considerable debate in the hours that followed. According to the police report, shortly after the incident the police officer demanded that Scheffler stop, but the world number 1 “refused to comply and accelerated, dragging [Gillis] to the ground.” The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, and his pants — valued at $80, according to the report — were completely missing.
Scheffler disputed that version of events. “I was proceeding as directed by the officers,” he said in a later statement. “It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable considering the tragic accident that occurred earlier, and there was a huge misunderstanding about what I thought it was going to be like. I asked to do it. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions.”
Regardless, Scheffler was removed from the vehicle, handcuffed and taken to jail for booking. He was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer (a felony), third-degree criminal mischief (a misdemeanor), reckless driving (a traffic violation) and failure to signal officers directing traffic (a misdemeanor).
Scheffler spent a short time in prison, but was released in time to make his accidentally delayed start at the PGA Championship. He shot an impressive 66 on Friday but faltered on Saturday and was not in contention for the second major of the season, won by Xander Schauffele. Fans wearing “Free Scottie” T-shirts were everywhere on the course, and he ironically enjoyed a new wave of popularity that he had not yet achieved, even though he had won the Masters twice.
