In a dramatic turn of events, Louisville authorities have dropped all charges against PGA star Scottie Scheffler. The charges stemmed from an incident during the PGA Championship, where Scheffler was arrested and handcuffed. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell made the announcement on Wednesday, citing insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution.
Scheffler was facing a felony charge for assaulting a police officer with his vehicle, as well as three misdemeanors. The incident occurred when Scheffler was driving a PGA courtesy vehicle and encountered Detective Bryan Gillis, who was directing traffic outside the Valhalla Golf Course after a pedestrian death. Gillis alleged that Scheffler refused to comply with his commands and accelerated forward, dragging Gillis to the ground.
However, a surveillance video released by Louisville police showed Gillis pursuing Scheffler’s vehicle on foot and preventing him from entering the course. The video did not capture the initial contact between Gillis and Scheffler. It was later revealed that Gillis had disciplinary action taken against him for not activating his body-worn camera during the arrest.
Scheffler maintained that he misunderstood the commands from traffic officers and that the incident was a “big misunderstanding.” After a brief stay in jail, he returned to finish the tournament tied for eighth place. With no further legal action to pursue, Scheffler can now focus on his golf career and put this chapter behind him.
The decision by O’Connell marks the end of an intense legal battle surrounding Scheffler’s arrest during the PGA Championship. Despite allegations of wrongdoing on both sides, it appears that justice has been served in this case.
