New video footage released from Scottie Scheffler’s arrest
May 15, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Scottie Scheffler prepares to hit off of the 10th tee box during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Clare Grant-USA TODAY Sports
Police have released new video footage that shows the moments surrounding Scottie Scheffler’s arrest last week,
Louisville Metro Police Department chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel held a press conference on Thursday in which she revealed that the officer who arrested Scheffler outside of Valhalla Golf Club violated one important protocol. Gwinn-Villaroel said that detective Bryan Gillis did not turn on his body-worn camera, which was “a violation of the LMPD policy on uniforms and equipment.”
“We understand the seriousness of the failure to capture this interaction, which is why our officer has received corrective action for this policy violation,” Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters. “This corrective action has been notated on a performance observation form, which is in line with our disciplinary protocol and practices. We respect the judicial process, and we will allow the course to proceed accordingly.”
LMPD was still able to obtain footage of the incident from two different cameras — one on a nearby street pole and another inside the dash of a police car at the scene. The footage from both cameras was released on Thursday. It shows Scheffler turning left into Valhalla when an officer, presumably Gillis, came running over to Scheffler’s driver’s side window. Scheffler appeared to stop the car before being arrested.
BREAKING: @LMPD releases the only official video we have of the incident involving PGA Golfer Scottie Scheffler. The black Lexus you see going around the bus is Scheffler. You also see the officer running him down and arresting him. @wave3news #scottiescheffler #pga pic.twitter.com/fJ2ltFLuSG
— Ward Jolles (@wardjolles) May 23, 2024
Police were on the scene redirecting traffic after a pedestrian was struck by a passenger shuttle and killed. Scheffler was unaware of what had happened and was trying to enter the golf club despite being redirected by police. The police report stated that he dragged a police officer who was hanging onto the golfer’s car about 10 yards.
It is difficult to tell the moment when — or if — the officer was dragged based on the footage that was released on Thursday. Police did say that the footage did not show the initial interaction between Scheffler and police, so perhaps that happened prior to what was shown in the clip.
Scheffler was arrested for his perceived defiance, taken to jail, and is facing four charges including reckless driving, criminal mischief, and second degree assault of a police officer (a felony). There was no indication on Thursday that the charges are being dropped, though one report claimed that is the expected outcome.
Scheffler attributed the incident to a misunderstanding. Scheffler’s attorney said on Thursday that the World No. 1 golfer did nothing wrong and will not be accepting any type of settlement.
