Detective who arrested Scottie Scheffler was disciplined

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The arrest of Scottie Scheffler put Louisville in the global spotlight, but we may never know the event in its entirety.

According to the standard procedure of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), things should have turned out differently.

“We recognize the severity of the failure to record this interaction and have therefore initiated remedial action against our officer for this policy violation,” LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a press conference Thursday.

The corrective action was detailed in a series of documents released by the department. Det. Bryan Gillis, who arrested Scheffler, conferred with one of his commanders and was placed on a performance observation.

This comes after LMPD’s internal investigation began with a form Gillis filled out for not recording the arrest on his body camera. As a reason for the lack of recording, Gillis wrote that he arrived at the PGA before his regular reporting time, immediately began directing traffic, and never turned on his body camera.

Gillis’ immediate supervisor and two other officers in the LMPD chain of command considered this a violation of policy.

The division commander concluded: “Although the situation was initially chaotic, enough time had passed to at least put the camera into standby mode.”

“We have body cameras so we have confidence in the police,” said Louisville attorney Michael “Mike” Abate. “So the public knows what’s happening. If there are systematic violations of this policy, it only leads to distrust. And if we don’t enforce the policy, then what’s the point?”

Abate focuses on constitutional law and government accountability, saying the punishment is “just a wagging finger.”

Mayor Craig Greenberg also focused on the trust aspect of the controversy.

“After recent history, activating body-worn cameras is critical for our police to have evidence, maintain public trust and be transparent,” he said.

Stay up to date with more stories like this one easily. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android User.

Do you have a news tip? E-Mail [email protected]visit our Facebook site or Twitter feed.