Scheffler’s attorney previously said in a statement his client is not interested in negotiating a plea deal with the attorney’s office.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell will address allegations against Scottie Scheffler in court Wednesday, according to a statement from his office.
The statement did not provide further details on what will be covered during Wednesday’s appearance. A spokesperson from O’Connell’s office said he would have no additional comment prior to the hearing.
Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world, was arrested by a Louisville Metro Police detective for allegedly injuring him with his car outside Valhalla Golf Club on May 17. Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic, according to his arrest citation. Second-degree assault is classified as a Class C felony in Kentucky.
Scottie Scheffler arrives at the course after being detained by police before the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Scheffler will not be present at the hearing, following an agreement between the parties and the permission of the court, the release stated. His arraignment is set for June 3, according to court records.
Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, previously said in a statement his client is not interested in negotiating a plea deal with the attorney’s office.
“I am prepared to litigate as needed and the case will be dismissed, or we will go to trial because Scottie did absolutely nothing wrong,” Romines said.
LMPD alleged Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground.”
The Louisville Metro Police Department has scheduled an 11:30 a.m. press conference to discuss the May 17 incident outside Valhalla Golf Club that led to the arrest of professional golfer Scottie Scheffler ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship, according to reporting done by the Louisville Courier-Journal.
According to an arrest citation, Scheffler was driving eastbound in a marked PGA player vehicle toward Gate 1 when he pulled into a westbound lane, “where outbound traffic was flowing,” to bypass the backup caused by an earlier fatal collision.
LMPD Detective Bryan Gillis was “in the middle of the westbound lanes, in full uniform and a hi-visibility yellow reflective rain jacket,” when he stopped Scheffler and “attempted to give instructions,” the citation said.
LMPD alleged Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.”
Scheffler, who has since called the incident a “big misunderstanding,” and competed in the tournament later that day, is charged with second-degree assault of a police officer — a felony that carries years of prison time — as well as third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
I’m a retired police officer. The aggressive arrest of PGA golfer takes the cake.
I was a police officer in Canada for 37 years. When I watched the arrest of Scottie Scheffler and followed the details made available I was shocked. With the limited details and no credible information provided by the police to support the need to arrest and charge any person under these circumstances, it is very suspect.
I do believe Scottie Sheffler’s explanation as to what his intentions were that morning. There is no way this guy was trying to break the law. From what info has surfaced to date publicly, my take is that the arresting officer over reacted to some guy not really understanding the chaotic situation. The reporter on the scene gave a pretty good description of a police officer getting overly aggressive and then having to find a way to save face. Well I would say he will not save face and will be lucky to save his job. I usually do not comment on over aggressive police action, but this takes the cake.
— Ron Nause, Canada
No body cam footage of the PGA golfer arrest? So much for Greenberg’s ‘world class city.’
Mayor Craig Greenberg gave a breakdown of the Scottie Scheffler arrest at the PGA tournament and it was very confusing to say the least, he said he wasn’t sure if the detective was wearing a body cam or just didn’t have it turned on. I thought the chief of police answered to the mayor and you would think the mayor would consult with the chief before making any comments.
It is very suspicious that it appears when there is a he-said-they-said incident, the body cam wasn’t turned on. The body cams the police department were furnished by the tax payers were very expensive and they were furnished for a purpose, and if the officer had his body cam turned on the citizens of Louisville wouldn’t be wondering who is right and who is wrong. Maybe if the Louisville Metro Police Department had a policy of two days off without pay if they didn’t have their body cams on they wouldn’t forget.
—Larry Warner, 40299
Valhalla or Va-ha-ha?
Looks like every time Louisville tries to portray itself as that “World Class City” we always hear about, we blow it. Golf course? How about using the land for a tow in lot and affordable housing?
I know the answer to that. Not in my backyard!
—Samuel L Osborne, 40205
Now no body cam footage?
What kind of cop grabs onto a car to get a supposed suspect? It’s a power hungry one. Then, they charge the driver with a felony. The cops clearly didn’t have control of the situation, just total incompetence. The cop didn’t have his body cam on as required by LMPD policy, so he can make up any story he wants. He needs to be fired, pronto. I’m staying out of Louisville.
“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Mayor Greenberg said on Saturday.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said there isn’t any body camera footage of the incident involving Scottie Scheffler and Louisville Metropolitan Police Detective Bryan Gillis on Friday morning that led to the world No. 1’s arrest ahead of the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship.
“The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident,” Greenberg said. “We will release footage that we have … to my knowledge, we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler.”
Greenberg wasn’t certain whether Det. Gillis was wearing a body cam at the time of the incident, but did note that “fixed camera” footage from across the street will be released in the coming days. The mayor declined to comment on whether or not there have been discussions about dismissing any charges against Scheffler.
“Right now, the case is in the hands of our county attorney, and I will let the legal process play out,” said Greenberg.
Scheffler, 27, is facing the following four charges: Assault in the second degree of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. His arraignment has been scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21.
Scheffler was booked at 7:28 a.m. ET, released from custody at 8:40 a.m. ET and arrived at Valhalla Golf Club at 9:15 a.m. ET. According to a PGA of America source on site, Scheffler was personally escorted to the club by an owner of Valhalla and made his 10:08 a.m. ET tee time by less than an hour. The two-time major champion then shot a 5-under 66 to move into T-4 on the leaderboard at 9 under.
The arrest citation, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, claimed that Det. Gillis was dressed in his full LMPD uniform and was wearing a reflective rain jacket when he stopped Scheffler and attempted to give him instructions. The report claims Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward,” dragged Det. Gillis to the ground, injured him and damaged his uniform pants “beyond repair.” Det. Gillis was taken to the hospital for further treatment after he allegedly suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee.
The incident occurred after a man, John Mills of Crestwood, Kentucky, was involved in a fatal accident with a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET on the road that leads to Valhalla Golf Club. Mills was working security for this week’s championship.
But after being handcuffed, fingerprinted and having his mug shot taken, he was released on his own recognizance and went out and made six birdies to shoot 5-under 66 at Valhalla Golf Club.
Scheffler was so locked in during his second round of the 2024 PGA Championship you never would have known he was locked up just hours before his tee time.
Scheffler was booked on suspicion at 7:28 a.m. ET, released at 8:40 a.m. ET and finally made it to the course less than an hour before his tee time. He walked off the course at 9 under, T-3 on the leaderboard, and trailing only leader Collin Morikawa among those in the clubhouse. Scheffler conceded it wasn’t easy but after a couple of holes he was able to get into his bubble.
“Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best to control my mind, control my breathing,” he said. “As far as best rounds of my career, I would say it was pretty good.”
Scottie Scheffler putts on the 11th green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Clare Grant/Louisville Courier Journal)
That may be the understatement of the year. When Scheffler arrived at the 10th tee, his first hole of the day, the crowd erupted in a chant of Scott-Tee! Scott-Tee! There were shouts of “Free Scottie” as well as cracks of how well he was playing with an ankle bracelet, whether golf was his work-release program and some supporters with a little extra time on their hands made mug shot T-shirts before heading to the course. Overall, the reigning Masters champion was treated to a new level of love that was reminiscent of a home Ryder Cup.
“I didn’t really know what the reception would be like,” he said. “I felt like they were cheering extra loud for me today. I really do. I know sometimes you can’t really see it on my face, but I really do enjoy playing in front of the fans.”
Despite all the distractions and a limited warm-up, Scheffler birdied two of his first three holes (with his lone bogey in between) and was in control of his round from start to finish. He added circles to his scorecard on Nos. 18, 2, 4 and 7, and is once again in contention in a major coming off his 2024 Masters victory.
Scheffler was shaken to his core by the experience of being handcuffed and booked on suspicion at a police station. He said he shook uncontrollably for more than an hour and even after the round noted, “I feel like my head is still spinning. I can’t really explain what happened this morning.”
After being led away in handcuffs from his tournament-issued courtesy vehicle, Scheffler chatted with an officer in a police car on the way to the station, and said that helped settle his nerves. While he was waiting to be booked, he approached that same officer and asked him, “Hey, excuse me, can you just come hang out with me for a few minutes so I can calm down.”
Scheffler said he was never angry. He was just in shock.
“It was definitely a new feeling for me,” he said.
Fans watch golfer Scottie Scheffler on the the 17th green during the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club. (Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)
Scheffler commended the officers at the police station and said that they made several jokes with him while he waited.
“This one older officer looked at me as I was doing my fingerprints or whatever, and he looks at me and he goes, ‘So do you want the full experience today?’ I kind of looked at him, and I was like, ‘I don’t know how to answer that.’ He’s like, ‘Come on, man, you want a sandwich?’ I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll take a sandwich.’ I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. I mean, they were really kind,” he said.
Waiting in his cell, Scheffler could see himself being discussed on ESPN and could make out the time and that the start of the second round had been delayed, moving his tee time to 10:08 a.m. ET.
“I was like, well, maybe I could be able to get out,” he said. “I started going through my routine (including stretching) and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could.”
“My sympathies go out to the family of Mr. Mills,” Scheffler said at the start of his press conference. “I can’t imagine what they’re going through this morning. One day he’s heading to the golf course to watch a tournament. A few moments later he’s trying to cross the street, and now he’s no longer with us. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. My heart – I feel for them. I’m sorry.”
Scheffler is facing the following four charges: Assault in the second degree of a police officer, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. He has retained local attorneys for the case and has an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21.
“My situation will get handled,” he said. “It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding.”
During a steady rain, Scheffler recorded his 43 consecutive round of par or better dating to the Tour Championship in August. One week after the birth of his first child, the world No. 1 is seeking his fifth win in his last six starts and to become the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to win the first two legs of the career Grand Slam. The last reigning Masters champion to win the PGA Championship was Jack Nicklaus, in 1975 at Firestone Country Club. Scheffler is well-positioned heading into the weekend at the PGA and it seems as if even the surreal circumstances of getting arrested hours before his tee time can’t stop Scheffler from breaking par.
“It was a very confusing and chaotic situation, but I did my best to just follow instructions and do as I was told as I was sitting there handcuffed,” Scheffler said. “I’m glad to be out here competing, doing what I love.”
Compared to the loss of life, the Scheffler incident is minor. The golf world’s reaction to it was revealing nonetheless.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s been 14 months since the Department of Justice found the Louisville Metro Police Department routinely violated civil rights — including by making unlawful arrests during traffic stops — but you’d be forgiven for thinking such heavy-handedness was unprecedented until the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer was hauled off in handcuffs outside Valhalla Golf Club in Friday’s pre-dawn hours.
The particulars of what transpired around 6 a.m. will be litigated in due course. The only uncontested fact is that a traffic stop was in place after an unrelated accident claimed the life of a man working at the PGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler, still almost three hours from his 8:48 a.m. tee time but apparently eager to get started on his pre-round routine, steered around the stop and attempted to turn into the golf club’s driveway. The LMPD incident report offers a sober account of the ensuing altercation between the Masters champion and a police officer, during which the cop claims he was dragged by Scheffler’s tournament-supplied vehicle.
“Detective Gillis stopped subject and attempted to give instructions. Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground. Detective Gillis suffered pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee. He was transported to the hospital for further medical treatment by emergency medical personnel,” it states.
The report concludes with a line that seems almost parodic given the $18.6 million Scheffler has earned on the golf course this season: “Detective Gillis’ uniform pants, valued at approximately $80 were damaged beyond repair.” The golfer was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
“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,” Scheffler said in a statement, in which he also expressed sympathy to the family of the deceased. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.”
A booking photo of Scottie Scheffler by Louisville Metro Police after a traffic incident before the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Courtesy Louisville Metro Police via USA TODAY NETWORK
What we’re left with is a police officer who will (fairly or otherwise) be accused of overreacting, an embarrassed golfer who will (fairly or otherwise) be accused of acting as though laws don’t apply to him, and a luckless Lexus executive who will (fairly or otherwise) be rethinking the value of supplying courtesy tournament cars to professional golfers.
Compared to the loss of life, the Scheffler incident is minor. The golf world’s reaction to it was revealing nonetheless. There were ample social media posts and text messages that ranged from humorous to heretical, but some themes quickly emerged that were more exasperating than entertaining.
How can this be allowed to happen? Louisville is a crime-infested city, so helluva job for arresting a golfer! The mayor must do something! Where’s the governor? The chief of police must get to the jail and personally provide Scheffler an escort to the golf course! Why hasn’t the PGA of America marched its 30,000 members to the precinct? (Okay, that one is an exaggeration, but we’d have gotten there if Scheffler had been detained much longer).
It was a tsunami of entitled privilege underpinned by a conviction that the world’s top golfer simply can’t be treated in this manner, that he has a tee time in a major championship, that he’s attempting to win the second leg of the grand slam, that he’s a God-fearing model citizen — facts presented as though they are exculpatory. None of which actually matter a damn, and are arguments that Scheffler himself wouldn’t be so crass as to present. Even if the cop overreacted, Scheffler had no business ignoring law enforcement orders not to move his car — a lesson delivered much more harshly to many a citizen not fortunate enough to carry on with their day.
The aftermath of the fatal accident caused an enormous traffic snarl, so the PGA Championship delayed tee times by 80 minutes. Having posed for his mug shot in an orange jumpsuit — a ritual humiliation that treats traffic infractions and terrorism equally — Scheffler arrived at Valhalla at 9:12 a.m. and teed off 56 minutes later. He birdied his first hole and the insular golf world sighed in relief that disaster had been averted.
Meanwhile, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said it had received “a couple of calls” about the man killed outside Valhalla. Identification was delayed until his family was notified.
He was John Mills, his name finally released about the time Scottie Scheffler made the turn in his second round, his grand slam hopes still very much alive.
Friday morning was one of the weirdest in the history of golf. Just after 6 a.m. ET, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was arrested and charged with several crimes, including second-degree assault on a police officer. However, he was released before 9 a.m. ET and is currently playing in the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
As you’d expect, fans are cheering hard for Scheffler as he goes around Valhalla, and a few fans are already wearing T-shirts featuring Scheffler’s mugshot.
These girls said they bought their shirts in the parking lot. $10. Another guy wearing one offered to sell me his for $20. #Mericapic.twitter.com/sFh9Ut5Gbi
After the incident, which stemmed from Scheffler driving past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club, golfers from around the world reacted on X (formerly Twitter) as the news continued to break on social media.
I have done what Scotty did many times. Traffic in front of course always a nightmare. Usually they see the courtesy car and let you through. Normally…..
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Hush comes over any outdoor sporting event when a soft rain is falling. But Friday morning at Valhalla Golf Club, site of the 2024 PGA Championship, you can feel a stunned disbelief in the air. This as if people don’t really know what to say.
After a one-hour delay in play, T-shirts are now flying in as spectators are starting to fill the size of the fairways and ring themselves around the greens, but it’s eerily quiet. Yes, people are applauding when players are introduced on the first and 10th tee boxes, but otherwise this venue is quiet.
Umbrellas are everywhere in the practice area. There’s a soft rain falling, which should make the golf course vulnerable and produce low scores. Players and caddies are chatting, but you would not know that there had been a detention of the world’s number one player a few hundred yards away a few hours before.
As gloomy skies sit over Valhalla Golf Club prior to the second round of the PGA Championship, players practice on the putting green. (Photo: David Dusek/Golfweek)
Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic but was subsequently released.
Live updates at PGA Championship 2024
8:53 a.m.: While Scheffler’s situation is certainly something everyone is aware of, the job at hand is to win a major championship and keep up with the leader, Xander Schauffele, who tees off this afternoon. The only thing you can really hear in the practice area is the dull drone of electrical generators in the trucks nearby and in the television broadcast compound.
9:33 a.m.: Scheffler arrived in the practice area to a round of applause from the fans. After walking down the hillside, he did a fist bump with Rickie Fowler, who asked “You OK buddy?” Scottie replied, “Yeah, thanks,” and kept walking.
A lone fan yelled out “Free Scottie!”
9:44 a.m.: Brendan Todd walked by Scheffler at the range and added, “It’s great to see you a buddy.”
9:47 a.m.: Scheffler’s tee time is 10:08. Typically he would start preparing hours ahead of time. He’d eat breakfast, stretch and workout, hit balls and prepare mentally for the challenge of the course. Today, it looks like that will be condensed into a soggy hour or so.
9:49 a.m.: Does anything rattle Ted Scott, Scheffler’s caddie? He’s holding an umbrella, cleaning clubs, and smiling. You’d never know his guy had been handcuffed, in a police car and charged with crimes earlier this morning.
Scottie Scheffler and caddie Ted Scottlooks on from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
9:55 a.m.: Scheffler’s last drive of his warm-up had a carry distance of 292 yards. The ball speed was 177 mph. The morning’s events do not seem to have diminished his speed and he’s putting on his typical stripe on the range.
10:01 a.m.: After walking over the stair bridge and hitting a few bunker shots, Scheffler grabbed his putter and headed to the practice green. Few players, including Camilo Villegas, turned their heads. It was impossible to ignore the group of reporters, camera men, and TV people who are following Sheffler wherever he goes right now. Brian Harman is continuing to practice his putting with a mirror. Wyndham Clark and Will Zalatoris are going through their routines too. It’s the second round of a major championship and none of the things that are swirling around have anything to do with them.
10:28 a.m.: Kentucky is behind Scottie Scheffler. As he walked onto the 10th tee, chants of “Scottie! Scottie! Scottie!” erupted. While it will obviously be a very hard day for the world No. 1 player, the whole situation has created a very tough situation for Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman, too. This was always going to be a marquee group, but there’s a circus element to it now as well. As Scheffler was announced on the tee, an ocean of iPhones sprang from everywhere.
One fan yelled: “Scottie, I need your lawyer’s number!”
10:31 a.m.: Scheffler has always been a popular player, but never as popular as he is today here at Valhalla. After making a birdie on 10, he was cheered wildly walking to the 11th tee.
As is customary, the police officers providing security for Scheffler, Clark and Harman this morning. It’s a common practice with marquee players at every event, but this morning, after Scheffler was charged with assaulting one of their own, you have to wonder what is going through the minds of the police officers now assigned to ensure Scheffler’s safety.
11:39 a.m.: Scheffler released a statement to ESPN, saying “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.”
11:58 a.m.: The golf world reacts on X to the news of the arrest, with #freescottie trending.
12:10 p.m.: Check out some photos from the golf course on Friday, where fans are flocking to get a glimpse of Scheffler.
12:35 p.m.: Scheffler mug shot T-shirts have already been created, printed, sold and worn by fans at Valhalla Friday morning.
Cole Turner with a T-shirt featuring Scottie Scheffler’s LMPD mug shot at the 2024 PGA Championship second round. (Photo: Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal)
12:49 p.m.: Scheffler, who had just 30 minutes to warm up before starting his round on the 10th hole, recorded his third birdie in nine holes on the 18th before he made the turn. He’s 2 under on the day and 6 under overall, tied for seventh in the championship. Xander Schauffele, who has yet to start his second round, leads at 9 under.
1:26 p.m.: Another birdie and more cheers for Scheffler, who carded a circled 3 on the par-4 second hole, his 11th hole of the day. That moves him to 7 under and into a tie for fourth. They say very little fazes him and the fact that he’s 3 under just hours after being arrested and charged is kind of amazing. He’s currently two back on the leaderboard of Xander Schauffele and Mark Hubbard.
2:08 p.m.: Scheffler birdied the fourth for his fifth birdie of the day against just one bogey.
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 17, 2024
3:01 p.m.: And yet another birdie for Scheffler. To a loud road from the fans on the seventh hole, his 16th of the day, Scheffler poured in his sixth birdie of the day to get to 9 under, two back of a red-hot Collin Morikawa, who has zoomed into the lead.
4 p.m.: Scheffler made par on his final two holes to sign for a 5-under 66 and reach 9 under par for the tournament. He’s currently T-3, two shots behind Morikawa.
Golfweek will be updating this story throughout the day.
Scheffler is facing the following four charges: Assault in the second degree of a police officer, criminal mischief in the third degree, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic.
He has retained local attorneys for the case and has an arraignment scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21.
Scheffler was released from custody at 8:40 a.m. ET and arrived at the golf course at 9:15 a.m. ET. According to a PGA of America source on site, Scheffler was personally escorted to the club by an owner of Valhalla and made his 10:08 a.m. ET tee time.
Jeff Darlington reported early Friday morning that Scheffler attempted to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club and that officer attempted to “attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla.” The officer reportedly began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car, and when the 27-year-old exited the car, he was shoved against the vehicle and placed in handcuffs. He was then detained in the back of a police car.
“They told him to stop,” Darlington said in an appearance on ESPN. “When he didn’t stop, the police officer attached himself to the vehicle. Scheffler then traveled another 10 yards before stopping the car. The police officer then grabbed at his arm attempting to pull him out of the car before Scheffler eventually opened the door, at which point the police officer pulled Scheffler out of the car, pushed him up against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs.”
In a statement provided to ESPN.com, Scheffler called it a “very chaotic situation” and said there was a “big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions.”
After a brief hiatus for the birth of his child, Scheffler returned to competition this week with a 4-under 67 on Thursday and sat T-12 on the leaderboard after the first round. So far this season Scheffler has four wins at the Masters, Arnold Palmer Invitational, Players Championship and RBC Heritage. In 10 starts this season, he has nine top 10s, with a worst finish of T-17.
This story will be updated. Golfweek’s David Dusek contributed to the report.
