Scottie Scheffler charges still pending; arresting officer disciplined for policy violation

In a press conference on Thursday morning, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Chief of Police Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel announced that the officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler during a traffic incident at last week’s PGA Championship has been disciplined for failing to activate his body camera. Despite this, the four charges against Scheffler are still pending.

Mayor Greenberg confirmed that Detective Bryan Gillis did not turn on his body camera during last Friday’s incident, a violation of Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) policy, which mandates that officers must activate their body cameras before engaging in any law enforcement activities. While there is video footage from a police cruiser’s dashboard and a surveillance pole across the street from Valhalla Golf Club, no video of the actual incident exists. The LMPD released these videos shortly after the press conference, but any additional footage will not be released until the conclusion of the legal process, per the Louisville attorney’s office.

“Detective Gillis had an encounter with Mr. Scottie Scheffler and failed to turn on his body camera, which is a breach of policy,” stated Greenberg. Chief Gwinn-Villaroel added that Gillis violated two internal policies and has received marks on his record as discipline for these infractions.

Both Greenberg and Gwinn-Villaroel emphasized their respect for the judicial process, indicating that the charges against Scheffler will proceed as determined by the Jefferson County Attorney’s office.

Scheffler was arrested on Friday morning outside Valhalla Golf Club before the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship. He faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals. According to the police report, Scheffler allegedly ignored an officer’s instructions and drove past, dragging Officer Gillis with his car, resulting in an injury and damage to the officer’s pants. Scheffler, however, claims the incident was a misunderstanding.

Scheffler’s lawyer, Steve Romines, contends that Scheffler was following directions from another traffic officer and was driving a marked player’s vehicle with visible credentials. Romines argues that Scheffler stopped immediately when directed and did not assault the officer with his vehicle. He stated that multiple eyewitnesses support Scheffler’s account and that they expect Scheffler to be exonerated. Scheffler’s arraignment, initially scheduled for May 21, has been postponed to June 3, where he plans to plead not guilty.

Following his Friday arrest, Scheffler returned to the tournament and scored a second-round 66, though he later admitted the situation affected his performance, leading to a 73 in the next round. He rebounded with a final-round 65, finishing tied for eighth. Scheffler is set to compete in this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, with a first-round tee time of 1:45 p.m.