Scottie Scheffler will appear in court for his arraignment, date scheduled for next week
Following his arrest on Friday, May 17, Scottie Scheffler will appear in court next week. The PGA Championship, which Scheffler is playing in, will play its fourth and final round on May 19, and the world number one golfer is slated to appear for his arraignment two days later on May 21 according to NUCLR GOLF.
Scheffler is facing several major charges: second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic, and reckless driving.
The official police report states that Scheffler dragged an officer with his car, causing pain, swelling, and abrasions. The officer had to reportedly be transported to the hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for injuries.
Scheffler called the entire thing a misunderstanding. He cited the fatal crash that caused the traffic and said it was a "very chaotic" situation (via CNN):
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. 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.”
The golfer also sent his condolences to the family of the man who passed away in the accident which led to this chain of events. The crash occurred around 5 am EST on Friday, leading to the traffic jam where Scheffler's incident occurred.
The second round of the PGA Championship was delayed by an hour and 20 minutes as a result. Scheffler was detained, booked, and released in time to return for the round. He is currently trailing Xander Schauffele.
Scottie Scheffler's attorney addresses the incident
Scottie Scheffler has already called the whole thing a misunderstanding. His lawyer, Steven Romines, said something along the same lines in a statement on Friday.
Romines echoed Scheffler's sentiment and said via CNN:
“Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area it was a very chaotic situation. He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player’s vehicle with credentials visible,” Romines said. “In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer’s traffic signals resulting in these charges.”
The lawyer says that multiple eyewitnesses confirm that Scheffler complied and did nothing wrong. Romines also added that he stopped immediately when he was asked to and didn't assault anyone with his vehicle. They plan to plead not guilty and litigate the matter. Scottie Scheffler had previously never had any run-ins with the law of this nature.