Scottie Scheffler incident: Louisville police publish investigation results against police officers

Louisville authorities have released the results of an internal investigation into an incident involving world number one 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 official procedures during the arrest. Charges against Scheffler have not been dropped, and police said they will allow the legal process to complete.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel announced the results during a press conference Thursday morning.

Detective Bryan Gillis was given, as Gwinn-Villaroel put it, “remedial action” for violating department policy by not turning on his body camera. Greenberg stated that there is no available footage to date “that captures the initial interaction between LMPD (Det. Gillis) and Mr. Scheffler.”

LMPD released two videos, neither of which shows the initial interaction between Gillis and Scheffler.

In the first video, on the left side of the screen, the car Scheffler was driving can be seen turning left into the Valhalla Golf Club, followed by a police officer on foot in a yellow vest:

The second video shows the incident from a different angle on the other side of the street. Scheffler’s car can be seen driving past the bus and turning left into the club. Two minutes later, Scheffler is being led away in handcuffs by police officers.

Both videos clearly show the chaotic scene outside Valhalla, where flashing lights and rain cause visibility and clarity issues.

Neither the police chief nor the mayor of Louisville indicated that charges against Scheffler would be dropped.

“We respect the legal process,” Gwinn-Villaroel said, “and we will allow the courts to proceed accordingly.”

Shortly after the end of the press conference, Scheffler’s lawyer Steve Romines reiterated his client’s innocence.

“Our position is the same as last Friday,” Romines said. “Scottie Scheffler has done nothing wrong. We have no interest in settling the case. Either we try to settle it or the case will be dismissed.”

“…I’ve seen everything there is to see,” he continued. “Everything that’s out there supports exactly what Scottie has been saying from the beginning.”

An arraignment originally scheduled for last Tuesday was postponed until June 3. Scheffler has since traveled to Texas to compete in the Charles Schwab Championship this week. Because he faces felony charges, he is expected to appear in court in Louisville on June 3, the Monday of the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

At about 5 a.m. on May 17, security guard John Mills was killed outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club when a shuttle bus struck him. Traffic was backed up in both directions on the road that runs past Valhalla while police investigated the fatal accident. Players were allowed onto the course, but when Scheffler showed up at about 6 a.m., he was stopped by a local police officer.

What happened next was the subject of considerable debate in the hours that followed. According to the police report, the officer ordered Scheffler to stop shortly after the incident, but the world No. 1 “refused to comply and accelerated forward, 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 a total loss.

Scheffler denied that version of events. “I followed police instructions,” he said in a later statement. “It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable given the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a great deal of misunderstanding about what I was told to do. I never intended to disobey any instructions.”

Nevertheless, Scheffler was removed from the vehicle, handcuffed, and taken to jail for questioning. He was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer (a felony), third-degree criminal damage to property (a misdemeanor), reckless driving (a traffic violation), and failure to obey traffic officer signals (a misdemeanor).

Scheffler spent a short time in jail but was released in time to make his accident-delayed tee time at the PGA Championship. He shot an impressive 66 on Friday but faltered on Saturday and was out of contention for the second major of the season, won by Xander Schauffele. Fans wearing “Free Scottie” T-shirts were seen all over the course and, ironically, he enjoyed a newfound popularity that even after two Masters victories he had not yet achieved.