Dashcam video shows Scottie Scheffler’s arrest; officials say the detective who arrested the golf star violated bodycam policies

The Louisville Metro Police Department detective, who Golf star Scottie Scheffler arrested last week violated department policy by not turning on his body camera during the incident, officials said Thursday.

An internal investigation revealed that Detective Bryan Gillis did not turn on his body-worn camera during the encounter, LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a news conference.

Meanwhile, dashcam footage released by police shows Scheffler being escorted to the scene in handcuffs by two officers (seen at approximately 25:15 in the video). Police also released video from a pole-mounted camera showing a bird’s eye view of the area.

Gillis was one of dozens of police officers on the scene after a pedestrian was struck by a shuttle bus near the Valhalla Golf Club, where the PGA Championship was being held. Scheffler allegedly tried to avoid traffic created by the investigation. According to a police report, Scheffler was traveling in an eastbound lane and attempted to move into the westbound lane where Gillis was standing in uniform.

Gillis stopped Scheffler and tried to give him instructions, but Scheffler “refused to comply and sped forward,” the report said. Gillis was dragged “to the ground” and suffered “pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist,” according to the report.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey traffic signals by an officer directing traffic.

Scheffler said online that he was in a “very chaotic situation” and that there was “a huge misunderstanding about what I felt I should do.” In a statement to CBS News, Scheffler’s attorney Steve Romines said the golfer “at no time did he strike a police officer with his vehicle,” adding that “we will pursue this matter in court if necessary.”

Because Gillis was “conducting a police action,” he should have turned on his camera, Gwinn-Villaroel said Thursday. He “received corrective action for this policy violation,” she said, which was noted on a performance observation form, as required by the department’s standard disciplinary protocol.

Gillis’ supervisor noted that the detective should have had his body-worn camera “on and at least in standby mode” when he arrived on scene.

“Due to the confusion in the area at the time and his sense of urgency to respond to the fatal traffic accident and speed traffic for the PGA Championship, he did not comply with the request to turn on the engine,” the statement said superiors.

Gillis’ division commander similarly noted that in the chaotic situation, “enough time had passed” for Gillis to turn on his camera.

Last month, Scheffler won the 2024 Masters tournamenthis second victory in three years there.