Louisville, Kentucky
CNN
—
All charges against Scottie Scheffler were dismissed less than two weeks after the world’s No. 1 golfer was arrested after trying to drive around the scene of a fatal crash en route to the PGA Championship — and video of the arrest’s aftermath emerged.
Scheffler, 27, was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer and lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding an officer’s signal directing traffic, Jefferson County court records show.
“Based on the totality of the evidence, my office is unable to move forward with the investigation of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler,” County Attorney Mike O’Connell said in court Wednesday. “Mr. Scheffler’s characterization of this as a ‘huge misunderstanding,’ close quote, is corroborated by the evidence.
Jefferson County District Court Judge Anne Delahanty dismissed the matter with prejudice — meaning it cannot come back — “and it will be disposed of within 60 days,” she said. Scheffler, who lives in Texas, was granted permission to miss the hearing, according to a recent court document.
Scheffler faces charges including second-degree assault on a police officer On suspicion of pulling an officer over in his car He also faced lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding an officer’s signal directing traffic when he arrived at the Valhalla Golf Club in the early hours of May 17, according to Jefferson County court records. His hearing was adjourned to June 3.
Wolves
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell speaks Wednesday at a hearing in Louisville, Kentucky.
Scheffler called the incident a “huge misunderstanding,” and Romines said his client will plead not guilty. There were some officials It is believed that fees should be reducedPolice sources told CNN.
The prosecutors’ office said Thursday it was still reviewing evidence and interviewing investigators about the allegations.
The golfer’s arrest was a dramatic shakeup for the PGA Championship, given to Scheffler — a new father described by one golf writer as a great, “squeaky clean” player — hot on the heels of his victory. A second master’s degree last month. He eventually finished eight shots behind eventual winner Xander Schauffele for a share of eighth place.
“I did everything I could to come out here and compete and do what I wanted, and the support I got from the fans was amazing,” Scheffler told reporters following the match on May 19. “I think they were cheering me on extra loud this week, and I got a lot of support from the players and the caddies.”
The investigation unfolded Wednesday after body camera footage was released showing Scheffler’s initial conversation with a law enforcement officer following his arrest.
The blurry footage — apparently filmed at the scene of the arrest — is legitimate, said a spokeswoman for Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. It shows an officer read Scheffler his Miranda rights before questioning the golfer about the incident.
“LMPD moved quickly to release footage of Mr. Scheffler’s arrest on May 23, just days after the incident,” Scotty Ellis, the mayor’s director of communications, said in a statement Wednesday.
“At the press conference where that footage was released, Mayor Greenberg stated that at the request of the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office, no other video will be released until the legal process is completed,” Ellis said. “It is unfortunate and deeply concerning that an individual leaked information that should remain confidential pending the completion of an investigation.”
Around 6 a.m. on May 17, Scheffler was trying to get to Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of a golf major when he encountered heavy traffic near the scene of a fatal crash.
Earlier in the morning, John Mills, 69, a pedestrian whose family said he enjoyed working security in Valhalla — was tragically killed when he was struck by a bus while trying to cross the main road leading to the course, Louisville police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said. Due to this, the police were concentrated around the entrance gate.
Scheffler – driving the marked player courtesy vehicle, According to ESPN — was trying to gain access to the course when an officer wearing a full police uniform and yellow reflective rain jacket stopped him, according to a Louisville police report. The officer, Detective Brian Gillis, stopped Scheffler and attempted to give instructions.
“The subject refused to comply and Detective Gillis was dragged to the ground,” the report states.
The detective suffered pain, swelling and cuts to his left wrist and knee and was taken to a hospital for treatment, the report said. His uniform clothes, worth about $80, were “damaged beyond repair,” the report added.
At a press conference last week A video of the incident was releasedLouisville Police Chief Jacqueline Quinn-Villaroyal said the detective failed to turn on his body-worn camera and that “corrective action was taken for the violation of policy.”
Scheffler was detained and arrested, but he was later released from jail and returned to the golf course four hours later for his tee time. Scheffler said in a statement shared on his Instagram account later that day that he believed he was following authorities’ instructions.
“This morning, I was following the directions of the police officers. It was a very confusing situation and understandably given the tragic accident that had happened earlier, there was a huge misunderstanding of what I thought I should do,” he said. “I don’t want to ignore any instructions.”
Romines, Scheffler’s attorney, cited witness accounts and said his client “has done nothing wrong.”
“He stopped immediately upon being driven and at no time did he strike any officer with his vehicle,” Romines said in an earlier statement. “We will plead not guilty and prosecute the matter as necessary.”
Despite spending part of his morning in jail and having his mug shot taken in an orange jumpsuit, Scheffler played well on May 17 and shot 5-under par, leaving him at the top of the leaderboard. But he struggled the next day, leaving more ground to claim his second straight major.
As for his apparent legal troubles, the golfer doesn’t know what comes next, telling reporters on May 19, “I think it’s all up in the air.”
“I think I can come home tonight, but we’ll see when I leave here,” he said. “I haven’t had much of a chance to really assess the situation.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Steve Almasi, Gloria Pasmino, Jill Martin, Jack Pandock, Eric Levenson, Ray Sanchez and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
