Charges against Scottie Scheffler dropped after arrest before PGA Championship

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dropped, ending a legal saga that began with photos of the world’s best golfer arrested and handcuffed in Louisville during the PGA Championship.

Jefferson County Prosecutor Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges against Scheffler. Scheffler was not required to be present in the courtroom. The prosecutor said Scheffler’s explanation that there was a misunderstanding with traffic police was “borne out by the evidence.”

“Based on the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward with the prosecution of the charges against Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said during the brief hearing.

Scheffler said in an Instagram post on Wednesday that his arrest and detention on May 17 was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” during a “chaotic situation.”

“I want to put this incident behind me and hope (the officer) will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I respect them very much,” Scheffler said.

Scheffler was charged with assaulting a police officer with his vehicle and three other misdemeanors. The arresting officer, Detective Bryan Gillis, was standing outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Course directing traffic following the death of a pedestrian when he encountered Scheffler.

A video of Scheffler in handcuffs being led away by police officers quickly spread online, followed by a mug shot from the Louisville jail showing Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit.

O’Connell said Wednesday that his office thoroughly reviewed the evidence in the case before deciding to drop the charges.

“The evidence we have reviewed supports the conclusion that Detective Gillis was concerned about public safety at the scene when he made contact with Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said. “However, Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of a crime.”

Scheffler was unaware of the pedestrian fatality, and several PGA-marked vehicles like Scheffler’s were able to enter the course without any problems, O’Connell said. However, a passenger bus trying to enter the course was stopped and asked to turn around. Gillis was on the scene stopping the vehicles so the bus had room to turn around, and Scheffler’s car was one of the first to reach the point where Gillis stopped traffic, O’Connell said.

Gillis said in a police report that Scheffler then “refused to obey and accelerated forward, pulling Gillis to the ground.” Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

A Surveillance video released by Louisville Police Last week, Gillis was seen chasing Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and preventing him from entering the race track. Scheffler was later dragged from the car and handcuffed. However, the video did not show Gillis’ first contact with Scheffler, authorities said.

Gillis was disciplined for do not activate his body-worn camera during the arrest. In a report on this failure, Gillis wrote that Scheffler “demanded to be allowed onto the golf course.”

The famous golfer spent a short time in a prison cell and then returned to the course for the second round. He finished the tournament took eighth place.

According to Romines, eyewitness reports confirmed that the officer was not dragged by Scheffler’s car.

“The more evidence comes to light, the clearer it becomes that Scottie was a victim here. And I think anyone who experiences something like this realizes that they just took a wrong turn … and don’t have to go to prison themselves,” he said after the hearing.

Romines also said there are grounds for a civil lawsuit against the Louisville Police Department, but Scheffler is not interested in a legal battle.

“Scottie Scheffler doesn’t want the taxpayers of Louisville to pay him a dime,” he said.

O’Connell and Romines also addressed the death of the pedestrian, a 69-year-old tournament worker named John Mills.

“The events that brought us here today began with tragedy … and I hope that more attention will soon be given to Mr. Mills and his life,” O’Connell said.

Romines said he spoke to Mills’ family to express Scheffler’s condolences.

“These types of tournaments cannot take place without the work of people like John Mills,” Romines said.

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Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner contributed to this report.