Following the high-profile leak of new footage, all criminal charges have been dismissed against Scottie Scheffler after he was arrested outside the PGA Championship last month.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell announced the decision Wednesday to drop the four charges the world’s top-ranked golfer faced, including a felony count of assaulting a police officer.
Scheffler was not required to appear in court.
Scheffler’s mugshot quickly went viral
“Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell stated, citing the golfer’s explanation of a “misunderstanding” with police being “corroborated.”
The stunning turn of events brings a long-awaited resolution to the incident that saw Scheffler handcuffed and jailed just hours before he teed off in the tournament’s second round on May 17 in Louisville. Footage of his arrest and mugshot went viral.
BREAKING
All charges just dropped against world #1 golfer Scottie Scheffler.
This is new video of the arrest that was released this morning.https://t.co/UTzhRVIpGJpic.twitter.com/akYqkWYp63
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) May 29, 2024
Scheffler, 27, had been accused of ignoring orders from an officer directing traffic due to a nearby fatal pedestrian accident involving a PGA Championship vendor. Detective Bryan Gillis claimed in his report that Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” him.
However, O’Connell said a full evidence review, including surveillance video, showed Scheffler was likely unaware of the pedestrian death as other tournament vehicles passed through unrestricted. When Gillis tried halting cars to allow a bus to turn around, Scheffler’s was the first to reach that point.
“Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses,” the prosecutor said in their announcement that the charges were dropped.
Scheffler expressed remorse over the “unfortunate misunderstanding” in a statement, and said he has “high regard” for the difficult jobs police perform. His lawyer, Steve Romines, said the newly released footage disproved Gillis’ claim he was dragged, adding the mere “wrong turn” led to his client’s jailing.
“The more evidence that comes out, the more it shows that Scottie was a victim here,” Romines stated,.
Scheffler said grounds existed for a civil suit against Louisville police, but the golfer does not plan to pursue a lawsuit.
While the dismissal brings a sense of justice for Scheffler, both the prosecutor and his attorney paid respects to John Mills, the volunteer whose tragic death in an accident led to the entire chaotic scene outside Valhalla.
“My hope is more attention will soon be paid to Mr. Mills and his life,” O’Connell said. Scheffler sent condolences to Mills’ family.
The dismissal allows Scheffler to move forward with his golf career with the unfortunate chapter firmly behind him.