Louisville officials have concluded an internal investigation regarding an incident last Friday involving world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler, ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship.
The investigation found that the officer who first interacted with Scheffler did not adhere to Louisville Metro Police Department procedures during the arrest. Despite this, the charges against Scheffler remain in place, with authorities opting to allow the judicial process to address the matter further.
During a press conference held on Thursday morning, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel shared the outcomes of the investigation. Detective Bryan Gillis was subjected to “corrective action” for failing to activate his body camera during the initial encounter with Scheffler, leaving no video footage of the initial interaction available.
The police released two videos from the scene at Valhalla Golf Club. In the first, Scheffler’s car is briefly visible turning into the club, followed by an officer in a yellow vest on foot.
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The second video captures the car from across the street as it pulls past a bus and turns into the club, followed shortly by Scheffler being escorted in handcuffs by the police.
The chaotic scene outside Valhalla, exacerbated by flashing lights and rain, was captured in both videos but did not provide clarity on the initial altercation.
Chief Gwinn-Villaroel reiterated the department’s position of respecting and following through with the judicial process, indicating no current plans to drop the charges against Scheffler.
Following the press briefing, Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, strongly defended his client, stating, “Scottie Scheffler didn’t do anything wrong. We’re not interested in settling the case. We will either try it or it will be dismissed… Everything that is out there supports exactly what Scottie has said from the start.”
Scheffler, who is facing a felony charge among other accusations, had his arraignment postponed to June 3. He has returned to Texas to participate in this week’s Charles Schwab Championship, with his court appearance scheduled during the Memorial Tournament in Ohio.
The incident arose when Scheffler arrived at Valhalla around 6 a.m., shortly after a fatal accident involving a security guard and a shuttle bus had caused significant traffic disruption. According to police, Scheffler allegedly ignored an officer’s command to stop, resulting in the officer being dragged to the ground, an account Scheffler disputes, citing confusion and chaos at the scene.
Scheffler was briefly jailed but released in time to compete in the PGA Championship, where despite an impressive second-round performance, he did not contend for the title. His situation, however, sparked a notable increase in public support, visible in the presence of fans donning “Free Scottie” t-shirts during the tournament.
