22 May 2024 , 08:02
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Louisville’s chief of police has pledged to investigate and “appropriately address” any policy violations which are found to have arisen from the arrest of world number one Scottie Scheffler last week.
The reigning Masters champion was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic as he attempted to negotiate a fatal road accident on his way to the second round of the US PGA Championship at Valhalla on Friday.
It subsequently emerged the arresting officer Bryan Gillis had failed to activate his bodycam video before Scheffler was stopped, handcuffed and arrested, despite it being standard operating procedure. “The internal investigation is still ongoing,” said a statement from Louisville Metro Police Department’s police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel.
“Any policy violations that are revealed through the course of the investigation will be appropriately addressed according to LMPD’s disciplinary protocol. The department intends to provide an additional update on the investigation on Thursday, May 23, 2024.”
Louisville’s Mayor Craig Greenberg, in his weekly news conference, stressed “action will be taken” if polices were not being followed in general. “I think that’s critically important that we do that, not just in high-profile events like took place on Friday, but on a regular basis,” he is quoted as saying by the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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“And if policies are not being followed, there will be transparency about that. There will be action taken. From my understanding, based on the facts I am aware of right now, I understand why bodycam may not have been turned on at the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr Scheffler. I still have questions about why it was not on during Mr Scheffler’s arrest.
Scheffler, who described the incident as a “big misunderstanding”, has had his arraignment date postponed until Monday, June 3 but his lawyer has already said he is prepared to go to trial if the charges are not dropped.
Scheffler shot a 13 under par 271 at Valhalla (Getty Images)Scheffler broke his silence on Instagram after his arrest. He also paid his respects to the person killed in an accident outside Valhalla a few hours earlier.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers," he wrote on Instagram on Friday. "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.
"I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”