Charges Dropped Against PGA Champion Scottie Scheffler in Louisville Traffic Incident

Prosecutors made the decision to drop all charges against Scottie Scheffler following a traffic incident in Louisville before the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship. The charges included second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.

Prosecution Decides to Drop Charges

Jefferson County Attorney, Mike O'Connell, stated, "Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler." He added, "Mr. Scheffler's characterization that this was 'a big misunderstanding' is corroborated by the evidence."

O'Connell also mentioned that the evidence reviewed did not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses. He indicated that Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler, but the evidence surrounding their exchange during the misunderstanding did not amount to criminal charges.

Internal Investigation Amidst Police Misconduct

This decision came after the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department announced that the arresting officer, Bryan Gillis, had received corrective action for failing to activate his body camera before performing law enforcement actions, as required by policy. This led to an internal investigation into whether proper police protocol was followed during Scheffler's arrest.

Public Release of Arrest Videos

LMPD released two videos of Scheffler's arrest, one from a fixed pole camera located across the street and another from a police vehicle's dashboard camera. However, both failed to capture the initial interaction between Gillis and Scheffler.

On the same day the videos were released publicly, a third video was posted to Facebook showing Scheffler's conversation with an officer in the police car during his arrest, where he explained that he mistook the person stopping him as a security guard and did not realize he was a member of the police. Scheffler also claimed that the arresting officer "grabbed my shoulder and hit me" after reaching in the car without identifying himself as a police officer.

Details of the Incident

According to the arrest report, the road on which Scheffler's incident occurred was closed in both directions following a fatal accident earlier that morning. It was reported that Scheffler allegedly "refused to comply" with Gillis' instructions, leading to a continued forward movement of his vehicle, with Gillis claiming he was dragged to the ground by the PGA Championship courtesy car.

The officer received medical treatment after suffering pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee. Additionally, his uniform pants, valued at approximately $80, were "damaged beyond repair" during the incident.

Legal Defense and Outcome

Throughout the ordeal, Scheffler's defense attorney, Steven Romines, maintained that his client was innocent. Romines expressed their readiness to go to trial or have the case dismissed. Following the dismissal, he stated, "We were pleased that the case was dismissed today. Obviously, dismissed with prejudice, which is something that we required."