New Scottie Scheffler arrest video footage shows exact moment when golfer was confronted by LMPD
Scottie Scheffler's arrest on May 17 was a huge shock for the golf world. Based on the police report, it seemed as if there was a major conflict between the golfer and law enforcement officials.
It resulted in a short stint in a jail cell before Scheffler returned to action and carded a 66 in the second round of the PGA Championship. Now, fresh video of the arrest incident has emerged. There was no body-cam footage because the arresting officer did not turn his camera on. The officer was disciplined for his policy violation.
Although grainy and not focused on Scheffler, the video appears to show a police officer running over and yelling at the golfer. The officer can be seen placing a hand on the window, before the car is brought to a halt. Scheffler was handcuffed a matter of moments later, according to the person who uploaded the video.
The footage does not show the alleged assault or any officer being dragged by Scheffler's car, as the initial police report stated. It also does not show Scheffler being placed in handcuffs, though it is alleged that it was not a gentle arrest.
It does show the traffic that was effectively stopped after the fatal crash earlier that morning. Scheffler was not moving very fast, even when he was actively driving. However, based on how quickly he approached the car and how frustrated he seemed, it does appear that the officer thought his instructions were ignored.
Louisville police issue statement on Scottie Scheffler arrest body cam
Part of the reason for the lack of video evidence surrounding the arrest is that Scottie Scheffler's arresting police officer did not have his body cam turned on. This was a massive violation of the policy.
Per ESPN, police chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said:
"Detective Gillis did not have his body-worn camera operationally ready as required by our policy. He was performing a law-enforcement action as defined in our policy. Further, section 4.31.7 states members will maintain their BWC in constant state of operational readiness. Detective Gillis should have turned on his body-worn camera but did not. His failure to do so is a violation of LMPD policy on uniforms and equipment."
Despite the fact that the charges are not going to be dropped, Scheffler and his legal team still firmly believe that he did nothing wrong. His lawyer, Steve Romines, said that their position is still the same following Thursday's release of footage. They maintain that the entire episode was a misunderstanding in a chaotic situation that involved no wrongdoing on the part of Scheffler.