Louisville, Ky. (AP) — Criminal charges against Scotty Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with pictures of the world’s greatest golfer. Arrest and handcuff in Louisville during the PGA Championship.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges against Scheffler, who was not required to be in the courtroom. The attorney said Scheffler’s explanation that he had a misunderstanding with police directing traffic was “corroborated by the evidence.”
“Based on the totality of the evidence, my office is unable to move forward with an investigation of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said during the brief hearing.
Scheffler said in an Instagram post Wednesday that the May 17 arrest and jailing was an “unfortunate misunderstanding” in a “chaotic situation.”
Charges against the world’s No. 1 golfer were dismissed following a court hearing on Wednesday. Correspondent Kethin Coolbach has the story.
“I want to put this incident behind me, and I hope (the officer) does the same. Police officers have a tough job, and I hold them in high regard,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler was charged with three misdemeanor counts of striking a police officer with his vehicle. The arresting officer, Detective Brian Gillis, was directing traffic outside the gates of the Valhalla Golf Course after a pedestrian death when he confronted Scheffler.
A video of a handcuffed Scheffler being led away by authorities soon went viral, followed by a mug shot of Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit leaving a Louisville jail.
O’Connell said Wednesday that his office thoroughly reviewed the evidence in the case before deciding to dismiss the charges.
“Mr. “However, Mr. The evidence surrounding Scheffler’s actions and their exchange during this misunderstanding did not satisfy the elements of any criminal offense.”
Scheffler was not aware of a pedestrian fatality, and several PGA-marked vehicles like Scheffler’s were able to enter the course without issue, O’Connell said. But a passenger bus trying to enter was stopped and turned away. Gillis was in a parking lot so the bus would have room to turn around, and Scheffler’s car was among the first to reach where Gillis was stopping traffic, O’Connell said.
Scheffler then “refused to comply and rushed forward, dragging Gillis to the ground,” Gillis said in a police report. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.
A Louisville police have released surveillance video Last week Gillis was shown following Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and stopping to enter the course. Scheffler is then dragged from the car and tied up. But the video did not show Gillis’ first contact with Scheffler, authorities said.
Gillis has been disciplined His body-worn camera was not turned on During the arrest. In a report on that failure, Gillis wrote that Scheffler demanded to be allowed onto the golf course.
The legendary golfer spent some time in a prison cell, then returned to the course for a second round. He Finished the match Ranked eighth.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, confirmed eyewitness accounts that the officer was not pulled over by his client’s car.
“The more evidence that comes out, the more it shows that Scotty is the victim here. And I think everybody sees something like this happening and realizes that they’re one wrong turn away from going to prison,” he said after the hearing.
Romaines said there are grounds for a civil lawsuit against Louisville police, but Scheffler is not interested in pursuing a lawsuit.
“Scotty Scheffler doesn’t want the taxpayers of Louisville to pay him a dime,” he said.
O’Connell and Romains also addressed the pedestrian death of 69-year-old race volunteer John Mills.
“The events that have led us here today began with a tragedy … and it is my hope that Mr. Mills and his life will soon receive more attention,” O’Connell said.
Romines said he spoke to Mills’ family to offer their condolences to Scheffler.
“These types of tournaments can’t go on without people like John Mills working,” Romaines said.
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Associated Press writer Bruce Schreiner contributed to this report.
