Scottie Scheffler arrives on the course during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ben Jared | PGA Tour | Getty Images
A Louisville, Kentucky, police detective violated department policy by failing to activate his body camera during the controversial arrest of Scottie Scheffler last week as the top-ranked golfer attempted to drive into the PGA Championship venue, the city’s police chief said on Thursday.
Detective Bryan Gillis “should have turned on his body-worn camera but didn’t,” Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a news conference.
“This officer received remedial action for this policy violation due to the severity of the violation,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced at the news conference the release of video footage of the incident Friday morning, showing the moments after Gillis arrested Scheffler, 27, for allegedly attacking him with his car as the golfer drove around other vehicles.
The footage came from a police car pole camera and dashboard camera.
The mast camera video shows Gillis running after Scheffler’s car as it slowly emerges from behind several large vehicles, the detective striking the golfer’s car with his hand or arm, and Scheffler immediately stopping. Gillis and other officers then pulled him out and handcuffed him about 50 seconds later.
The video does not capture the seconds prior in which Gillis reported being dragged by Scheffler’s car.
Greenberg said that “activating body-worn cameras is critical to our police force.”
Louisville Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, right, speaks with a reporter while Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, left, discusses the PGA arrest during a news conference on Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky. Golfer Scottie Scheffler listens.
Timothy D. Easley | AP
Louisville police policy states that officers have a duty to “maintain their safety.” [body-worn cameras] “in constant operational readiness” and for immediate activation by officers [body-worn cameras] in recording mode before engaging in any law enforcement activities or encounters.”
Some legal analysts expected the reduction in offenses against Scheffler to be announced at the news conference. But neither the mayor nor the police chief commented on the status of the case, other than to say they would not release any new information other than the video footage.
“We have to respect the legal process, and we will,” Greenberg said.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steven Romines, said after the press conference: “Scottie Scheffler did nothing wrong.”
“We are not interested in settling the case,” Romines said. “We will either try it or it will be rejected.”
“All the evidence that continues to come to light continues to support what Scottie said all along, it was just a chaotic situation and miscommunication and he did nothing wrong.”
Louisville police have faced sharp criticism over the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in March 2020 while executing an arrest warrant at her home as part of an investigation into a former boyfriend of Taylor’s who did not live with her.
Police initially said the shooting was not captured on video because officers on the team executing the warrant were not wearing body cameras. However, later news reports said that in a crime scene photo, at least one officer involved in the raid was wearing a body camera and a second officer was wearing a camera mount.
Taylor’s shooting and the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer two months later, captured on bystander video, sparked nationwide protests against excessive use of force by police.
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The Justice Department released a scathing report on the Louisville Police Department in March 2023, finding that the agency exhibited a pattern of conduct that included the use of excessive force, unlawful execution of search warrants, unlawful stops and searches, and discrimination. “against blacks” was one of his enforcement actions.”
“LMPD has for years practiced an aggressive policing style that it used selectively, particularly against Black people, but also against vulnerable people throughout the city,” the DOJ said in its report.
Scheffler, who is white, is charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, a felony, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey the signals of a traffic-controlling officer.
His arrest in Louisville came as police responded to the death of a 69-year-old man who was killed by a shuttle bus last week outside Valhalla Golf Club, site of the PGA Championship.
Police said Scheffler was driving in the median of a road outside the golf club and did not follow Gillis’ command to stop his vehicle.
Scheffler’s car then accelerated forward “sluggishly”. [Gillis] to the ground,” the police report says.
Gillis “suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee” and was taken to a hospital, according to the report.
Scheffler was released without bail within hours and returned to the club to tee off in time for the second round of the tournament.
Scottie Scheffler hands his putter to his caddy Ted Scott on the eighth green during the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 16, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Ben Jared | PGA Tour | Getty Images
He said his arrest was the result of a “big misunderstanding.”
“This morning I followed police instructions. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably given the tragic accident that had occurred before,” Scheffler said in a post on his official Instagram account.
“There was a big misunderstanding about what I thought was being asked of me,” he said. “I never intended to disobey any of the instructions.”
Scheffler’s attorney, Romines, said last week that the golfer was instructed by another officer to drive around the other vehicles.
Romines said, “Several eyewitnesses confirmed that he did nothing wrong, but simply proceeded as instructed.”
“He stopped immediately when asked to do so and at no time did he attack an officer with his vehicle,” the attorney said.
Scheffler is scheduled to be arraigned on June 3 and will plead not guilty, his attorney said.
Scheffler is playing at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas this week.
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2024-05-23 18:52:52
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