Louisville is buzzing with news about the recent arrest of world No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, just outside Valhalla Golf Club. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced that the city’s police department would dive into an investigation to determine if officers followed proper protocols during Scheffler’s arrest.
The arrest occurred last Friday, and according to Louisville police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, the investigation is ongoing. She mentioned, ‘The internal investigation is still ongoing. Any policy violations that are revealed through the course of the investigation will be appropriately addressed according to LMPD’s disciplinary protocol.’ An update on the investigation is expected this Thursday.
Mayor Greenberg emphasized the importance of this investigation not just for high-profile incidents like Scheffler’s but on a regular basis. ‘And if policies are not being followed, there will be transparency about that. There will be action taken,’ he told the Louisville Courier-Journal.
A spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) confirmed to ESPN that Detective Bryan Gillis failed to turn on his bodycam before detaining and arresting Scheffler. According to the department’s standard operating procedures for body-worn cameras, revised in December 2022, officers are required to keep their bodycams in a ‘constant state of operational readiness’ and activate them before any law enforcement activities.
Mayor Greenberg added, ‘From my understanding, based on the facts I am aware of right now, I understand why the bodycam may not have been turned on at the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler. I still have questions about why it was not on during Mr. Scheffler’s arrest.’ The mayor also noted that footage from a fixed camera across the street did capture the incident, and the city intends to release it.
The police report details that when Detective Gillis attempted to stop Scheffler’s SUV, the vehicle accelerated and dragged the officer, causing injuries to his wrist and knee. Scheffler described the scenario as ‘a big misunderstanding’ and ‘chaotic.’ He was trying to navigate through backed-up traffic to enter the golf course, which was congested due to an unrelated fatal crash nearby.
Scheffler faced four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer, a felony. He was booked into a downtown detention center but was released just under two hours before his second-round tee time. Despite the upheaval, Scheffler managed to score a 5-under 66 in the second round and eventually tied for eighth place with a 13-under finish, eight strokes behind the winner, Xander Schauffele.
Scheffler’s arraignment is slated for 9 a.m. ET on June 3.
Source: Espn
