Golfer Scottie Scheffler Addresses Arrest After Physical Altercation Outside PGA Championship
By Favour Adegoke on May 17, 2024 at 12:30 PM EDT
Police arrested golf champion Scottie Scheffler for attempting to drive into Valhalla Golf Club during the PGA Championship, unaware of a fatal accident nearby.
He faces charges including second-degree felony assault of a police officer. Scheffler's attorney, Steven Romines, claimed that miscommunication with a non-regular traffic officer led to the incident.
Scottie Scheffler Detained And Faces Second-Degree Felony Assault Of A Police Officer
Louisville Metro Police recently apprehended Scheffler after he attempted to drive through the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, where the PGA Championship is taking place this week.
Traffic had been halted outside the golf course following a tragic incident where a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET.
Scheffler now faces charges including second-degree felony assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and failure to obey traffic signals from an officer managing the situation.
According to ESPN, Major Jason Logsdon of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections revealed that Scheffler was released without bail at 8:40 a.m. ET. The golfer reportedly reached Valhalla less than an hour before he was set to tee off at 10:08 a.m. ET.
Scottie Scheffler Says He Hopes To Put Misunderstanding Aside And 'Focus On Golf'
In a statement following the incident, Scheffler spoke out about his shocking arrest and expressed hope that he could put it behind him.
He wrote on Instagram Stories: "This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."
He continued: "Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective."
The Golfer's Attorney Claims He Was Unaware Of The Fatal Accident
Scheffler's attorney, Steven Romines, told ESPN that the golfer was trying to enter Valhalla Golf Club as previously instructed, unaware of the fatal accident that had occurred nearby.
"He was going into Valhalla to work out and get ready for his tee time," Romines explained. "They were directing traffic. He held his credential out and was going in like they'd been instructed to."
Romines added that Scheffler would fully cooperate with the police and that they would address the situation as it unfolds.
Eyewitness Narrates Altercation Between Scottie Scheffler And Police Officer
However, according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, Scheffler attempted to drive around the crash site using a median.
He added that a police officer instructed Scheffler to stop, but the Golf champion continued driving about 10 to 20 yards toward the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club.
Narrating the incident, Darlington shared that at one point, an officer clung to the side of Scheffler's vehicle. Scheffler stopped his car as he approached the entrance, and after roughly 20 to 30 seconds, he rolled down his window to speak with the officer.
According to Darlington, the officer then grabbed Scheffler's arm to pull him out of the car, opened the door from inside the vehicle, and, once Scheffler was out, pushed him against the car and handcuffed him.
An Officer Was Injured During The Altercation
Darlington, who was at the entrance when Scheffler was detained, reported that Scheffler turned to him and asked, "Can you help?" An officer then instructed Darlington to move away, saying, "You need to get out of the way. Right now, he's going to jail, and there's nothing you can do about it."
According to ESPN, the arrest report identified the officer as Det. Bryan Gillis. It indicated that Gillis was dragged to the ground, resulting in "pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist" after the car "accelerated forward."
The report also said Gillis wore a high-visibility reflective jacket when he stopped Scheffler to provide instructions. He was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Speaking outside the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, Romines mentioned that the officer who tried to stop Scheffler wasn't part of the regular event traffic detail at Valhalla Golf Club, leading to miscommunication.
