Star golfer Scottie Scheffler, who was arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship earlier this month, has had all charges against him dismissed.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell spoke before the court on Wednesday, presenting a motion to dismiss the charges. He explained that his office had conducted a comprehensive review of the case and determined that they could not proceed with the prosecution.
O’Connell stated that Scheffler’s description of the incident as a “significant misunderstanding” was supported by the available evidence. Additionally, O’Connell noted that Scheffler’s actions did not meet the criteria for any criminal charges.
Judge Anne Delahanty granted the motion during the short court appearance. Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, chose not to address the court.
After the court proceedings, Romines expressed satisfaction with the dismissal of the case, stating that they were fully prepared to proceed with the litigation.
The charges cannot be brought again as the case was dismissed with prejudice, as Romines pointed out. This outcome is exactly what we were hoping for.
On May 17, just hours before his second-round tee time at the year’s second major, the world’s top-ranked golfer found himself in a peculiar situation. As he drove near the Valhalla Golf Club, police claimed that he ignored a traffic command from an officer and ended up injuring the officer with his vehicle.
Around one hour after a tragic accident near the golf course, the arrest took place. In the early hours of that day, a shuttle bus struck and killed a man who was attempting to cross a road near the course where the PGA Championship was being held. The Louisville Metro Police Department released a statement identifying the victim as John Mills, a volunteer for the PGA Championship.
According to O’Connell and Romines, the golfer was unaware of the tragic incident as he was trying to access the golf course.
Romines expressed his heartfelt condolences to the Mills family, acknowledging the profound tragedy they are currently facing.
Scheffler expressed his gratitude for the support he received in the past two weeks but emphasized the importance of remembering the true tragedy of May 17.
“On social media Wednesday, Scheffler expressed his ongoing thoughts and prayers for John Mills and his family, stating that he hopes to personally offer his condolences now that the case has come to a close.”
Scheffler, aged 27, was taken into custody by the police on various charges. These include second-degree assault of a police officer, which is considered a felony. Additionally, he faces charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals given by an officer directing traffic. The police have scheduled his arraignment for June 3.
According to a police report, it was alleged that Scheffler did not obey the police officer’s order to stop and instead, “accelerated forward,” causing the detective to be dragged to the ground. The report stated that the officer, identified as Detective Bryan Gillis, was taken to the hospital due to injuries including pain, swelling, and abrasions on his left wrist and knee.
Gillis mentioned in a police record that he was in charge of directing traffic after the accident near a gate. He recalled stopping a bus from entering the gate and then proceeded to halt an approaching vehicle. He informed the driver, Scheffler, that they could not proceed due to the presence of the bus.
In his account, Gillis stated that the driver insisted on gaining entry despite his instructions to the contrary. The driver’s actions resulted in Gillis being forcefully knocked down. Nevertheless, Gillis took immediate action to apprehend the driver.
Scheffler described the interaction as an “unfortunate misunderstanding” and emphasized that it was a result of a “severe miscommunication in a chaotic situation.”
“I bear no grudge against Officer Gillis,” Scheffler expressed. “I want to leave this incident in the past and move forward, and I hope he will do the same. I have great respect for the challenging work that police officers do.”
According to Scheffler, he described the incident as a “big misunderstanding” and mentioned that he was following the instructions given by the police officers.
According to a statement shared on social media, Scheffler expressed his understanding of the chaotic situation that unfolded after the tragic accident. He acknowledged a misunderstanding regarding the task he believed he was being asked to perform and clarified that he never had any intention of disregarding the instructions given.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Romines mentioned that they had been considering the possibility of pursuing civil action in response to the arrest. However, Scheffler, the individual involved in the arrest, expressed their reluctance to take that route. The main concern cited for this decision was the potential financial burden it could place on the taxpayers.
“Litigation can be a major distraction for anyone,” Romines expressed.
The Louisville Metro Police Department expressed its respect for the county attorney’s decision to dismiss the charges.
The department stated that they will continue to prioritize their mission to serve the city of Louisville and reduce instances of violent crime.
According to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, there is no body camera footage of the incident between Scheffler and the officer. In violation of department policy, Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel stated that Gillis had a body-worn camera, but he had not turned it on.
On May 23rd, the chief made an announcement stating that Gillis had received a corrective action as a result of an internal investigation. The action was taken due to Gillis’ failure to activate his body-worn camera.
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