Police drop all charges against golf star Scottie Scheffler over ‘unfortunate misunderstanding’

Prosecutors in Kentucky on Wednesday dropped all charges against top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler, who was arrested after allegedly ignoring police at a traffic stop outside the US PGA Championship.

Scheffler, 27, was handcuffed and led away by officers in the pre-dawn incident on May 17, before having his mugshot taken in an orange jumpsuit and then returning from jail to the Valhalla course and teeing off for his second round.

Scheffler allegedly drove onto a curb near the course entrance after police set up a traffic stop due to a separate road accident in which a local man working at the tournament had been killed.

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A police report said Scheffler had disobeyed orders to stop his car and accelerated, dragging to the ground police officer Bryan Gillis, who was hospitalised with bruising and swelling. Attorneys for Scheffler denied Gillis was dragged by the golfer’s vehicle.

On Wednesday, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell lodged a motion in court to dismiss all charges against Scheffler and the judge agreed.

O’Connell told the court that the evidence against Scheffler did not meet the standard of probable cause.

“Based on the totality of the evidence my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr Scheffler,” O’Connell said.

Scheffler meanwhile reacted with relief in a statement posted on Instagram. “I hold no ill will toward Officer Gillis. I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope he will do the same,” Scheffler said.

“Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard. This was a severe miscommunication in a chaotic situation.”

Scheffler had been charged with felony assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

His lawyer Steve Romines denied any wrongdoing, adding Scheffler was driving a marked player’s vehicle when he received conflicting signals from police officers at the traffic control.

Romines had stressed that his client would fight the charges and was “not interested in any sort of settlement negotiations or anything.”

On the morning of his arrest, world number-one Scheffler released a statement saying “there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.”

O’Connell told the court in Louisville that Scheffler’s claim of misunderstanding “is corroborated by the evidence.”

Fans cheered as Scheffler walked onto the course and gave him a standing ovation before he struck his first shot.

Current Masters champion Scheffler, who finished the US PGA tournament in a four-way tie for eighth place, said the day after his arrest “I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear.”

The officer who arrested Scheffler was reprimanded for not turning on his body-worn camera during the arrest, the local police chief said this week.

OFFICER RELEASES STATEMENT

Louisville police officer Bryan Gillis, the officer involved in the incident, also released a statement after the Scheffler charges were dropped.

In it, he hit out at Scheffler’s lawyer Steve Romines who claimed Wednesday that Scheffler had been “falsely arrested”.

He began by paying respects to the family of John Mills, who died earlier on the day in question after being hit by a vehicle.

“A tragic incident occurred, and the family of Mr. Mills remains in my family’s thoughts and prayers,” he wrote. “This was a chaotic situation for everyone involved. Ensuring the safety of everyone in the vicinity was my utmost priority.

“Mr. Scheffler and I both agree that there will be no ill will over this going forward. Instead of giving a negative public reaction, he chose to speak with dignity, humility and respect. My family and I appreciate that.”

Gillis then slammed Scheffler’s lawyer Steve Romines.

“It was unfortunate and disturbing to hear Steve Romines’ commentary today claiming that a “false arrest” was made and for him to challenge my honesty and integrity,” Gillis wrote.

“I’d be surprised and disappointed if Mr. Scheffler actually had any part in making those statements.

“To be clear, I was drug by the car, I went to the ground, and I received visible injuries to my knees and wrist. I’m going to recover from it, and it will be ok. This is the extent of my commentary on the incident.

“The reality is that there are more important things in the world right now than a back-and-forth over this. A person lost his life that day, and a family lost a loved one.

“At the end of the day, I take pride in working for the people in the community to preserve their safety. I’ve spent two decades trying to protect this city through some challenging times. And I would like to keep doing so without the distractions caused by this series of events.

“I wish Scottie Scheffler and his family all the best.”

In his formal write-up of the incident, Gillis had claimed that his $80 (USD) pants were destroyed when he was dragged by Scheffler’s car.

He joked about the pants at the end of his statement.

“PS… Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 (A$120) pants,” he wrote. “To those concerned, they were indeed ruined. But Scottie, it’s all good.

“I never would’ve guessed I’d have the most famous pair of pants in the country for a few weeks because of this. Take care and be safe.”