LOUISVILLE, Ky. The arrest and immediate release of world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler from a Louisville jail on Friday, which allowed him to play in a high-profile tournament after being booked on charges including felonious assault, angered some who question whether he received preferential treatment because of his fame.
They remember what they see as malfeasance on the part of the Louisville police department, which a national report last year found used excessive force and invalid search warrants, and wonder why Scheffler was released so quickly.
Police are continuing their investigation, but here’s a look at the incident and policing in Louisville:
Officers were rerouting traffic following a fatal crash near Valhalla Golf Club when Scheffler allegedly disobeyed an officer’s command. His car accelerated and dragged the officer to the ground, according to the police report, and the officer suffered injuries to his wrist and was taken to the hospital.
Scheffler, 27, from Texas, was arrested outside the club shortly after 6am, taken to jail, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his mugshot taken. The Louisville Metro Police Department said he was booked on four charges, including second-degree assault on a police officer.
But at 10:08 a.m. he was across town and teeing off at the PGA Championship, which awards a $3 million prize to the winner. Scheffler was released on his own recognizance without posting bail after agreeing to appear at all court dates in Louisville.
Scheffler and his attorney said he did nothing intentionally wrong and that he misunderstood police commands and was simply trying to get on course. His lawyer previously represented Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, who was shot to death by police in 2020, in a civil lawsuit against the city a few years ago.
Scheffler was greeted with applause by fans when he arrived at the golf course, but some in Louisville with memories of a turbulent past missed the incident.
“A man drags a police officer with his vehicle and hospitalizes him. He was arrested… accused of a crime… and immediately released so he could go to the game? Did I understand right? said Ricky L. Jones, professor of Pan-African studies at the University of Louisville, on social platform X.
Bill Miller, a local golf fan who was at the course Friday, said it put Louisville and police in a negative light.
“It’s just another bad look for the city,” Miller said. “I would like to understand what the police officer was trying to do. But it’s sad.”
Elsewhere, the incident drew backlash from an Atlanta-area pastor who organized the funeral of Roger Fortson, a young black airman who was shot by a Florida sheriff’s deputy in his home this month.
“Something is wrong in America,” said Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. “You have respect for a golfer, but you have no respect for (Fortson) and a person who gave his life to this nation. You cannot remain silent in the face of injustice.”
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear criticized X for a post encouraging people to welcome golf tournament fans “with the kindness and hospitality we are known for.” One commenter responded with Scheffler’s photo and noted that Beshear’s post has not aged well.
The department has drawn negative national attention in recent years following the 2020 fatal shooting of Taylor and a federal investigation into its policing practices. It has also been the target of protests against its policing.
A Justice Department report released last year said Louisville police officers use excessive force and conduct searches based on invalid warrants. He also said that black drivers in the city were more likely to be searched during traffic stops, and officers used neck restraints, police dogs and stun guns against people who did not pose an imminent threat.
Taylor, a 26-year-old black woman, was shot by police officers who came to her apartment on a warrant that federal authorities later said was forged.
The police department was praised, however, for its response to a mass shooting at a bank in 2023, when the gunman armed with an AR-15 was quickly killed before he could harm more people. A police officer who had just joined the force was hit in the head by a bullet, suffering a brain injury.
Last year, the department hired Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the first Black woman to hold the position, as its new police chief. The city continues to negotiate a consent decree with federal officials that will stipulate what police reforms will take place.
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Aaron Morrison in New York and Eddie Pells in Louisville contributed to this report.
