Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning after he attempted to drive around the scene of a car accident that had built up traffic heading into the PGA Championship.
The world's No. 1 golfer tried to get around the traffic near the entrance to Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club at around 5 a.m. ET. He did not know about the fatal car accident causing police to redirect traffic, his lawyer said.
Police reportedly asked Scheffler to stop, but Scheffler continued to drive toward the gate for the club. The officer attached himself to the car as Scheffler drove another 10 yards before stopping.
Scheffler was placed in handcuffs and taken to the to Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections, where he spent just over an hour in custody. Then he returned to Valhalla for Round 2 of the PGA Championship.
While Scheffler was released without bail, the 27-year-old golfer faces four charges stemming from the incident, including one felony. Here's what you need to know.
MORE: Timeline from Scheffler's arrest to his arrival at the PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler charges
Scheffler faces four charges stemming from Friday's incident: second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from officers directing traffic. The assault charge is a felony.
Second-degree assault of a police officer
A person is guilty of second-degree assault if they meet the following criteria, per Kentucky laws :
- He intentionally causes serious physical injury to another person; or
- He intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; or
- He wantonly causes serious physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument.
It is classified as a Class C felony. Dan Carman & Attorneys note Class C felonies can come with a sentence of 5-10 years' imprisonment — though Russ Baldani, a senior partner of Kentucky's Baldani Law Group, told Yahoo Sports there is "about a zero percent chance" Scheffler will be convicted.
Third-degree criminal mischief
A person is guilty of third-degree criminal mischief if they meet the following criteria, per Kentucky laws :
- Having no right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe that he or she has such right, he or she intentionally or wantonly defaces, destroys, or damages any property causing pecuniary loss of less than five hundred dollars ($500);
- He or she tampers with property so as knowingly to endanger the person or property of another; or
- He or she as a tenant, and having no right to do so or any reasonable grounds to believe that he or she has such right, intentionally or wantonly defaces, destroys, or damages residential rental property causing pecuniary loss of less than five hundred dollars ($500).
It is classified as a Class B misdemeanor. Per Dan Carman & Attorneys, Class B misdemeanors can lead to spending up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $250.
Reckless driving
There is no strict definition of reckless driving in Kentucky law. Rhoads & Rhoads Attorneys at Law describe it as falling under KRS 189.290, which is listed as the following :
- The operator of any vehicle upon a highway shall operate the vehicle in a careful manner, with regard for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and other vehicles upon the highway.
- No person shall willfully operate any vehicle on any highway in such a manner as to injure the highway.
In essence, per the law firm, reckless driving is defined as "driving that is 'not in a careful manner.'" The charge could lead to a suspension of someone's driver's license for up to 90 days and could include a possible jail sentence.
Disregarding signals from officers directing traffic
A person is considered to have disregarded signals from officers directing traffic under the following criteria, per Kentucky law :
- No operator of a vehicle, after having received a visual or audible signal from an officer directing traffic shall knowingly or wantonly disregard the signal so as to interfere with or endanger the operation of the traffic officer or other vehicles or pedestrians.
Disregarding signals from officers directing traffic is considered a Class B misdemeanor. Per Busald Funk Zevely , it can carry a sentence of up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.
MORE: How did Scottie Scheffler play in Round 2 after his arrest?
Scottie Scheffler arrest report
The police account of Scheffler's arrest describes an officer, named as Detective Gillis in a police report obtained by ESPN's Michael Eaves , directing traffic in front of the Valhalla Golf Course following the fatal accident earlier Friday morning.
Scheffler was reportedly traveling east but pulled into the lanes heading west to get around the traffic that had built up as a result of the accident. Gillis, wearing a Louisville Metropolitan Police Department uniform and yellow reflective rain jacket, approached Scheffler and attempted to give him instructions, per the police report.
Scheffler instead "refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground," as stated in the police report.
As a result of the incident, Gillis was taken to the hospital after sustaining "abrasions to his left wrist and knee," per the report. Additionally, the report notes that his pants, "valued at approximately $80, were damaged beyond repair."
Scheffler was released from police custody at 8:40 a.m. ET. His arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, according to ESPN .
Saturday morning, the day after Scheffler's arrest, Louisville mayor Craig Greenberg said there was no body camera footage of the arrest, but that a camera across the street has footage that will be released before long, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal . He said the city has yet to find any footage from the initial meeting between Scheffler and police.
It was originally expected the charges against Scheffler would be dropped early next week, per No Laying Up's Kevin Van Valkenburg .
However, the World No. 1 golfer's arraignment was rescheduled to June 3, per Yahoo Sports . As such, Scheffler may have to wait a bit longer for a resolution to the situation.
Scottie Scheffler statement
Scheffler issued the following statement :
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.
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.
Scheffler's attorney Steve Romines described the incident as a "miscommunication" between Scheffler and the police outside Valhalla in an interview with Louisville's WHAS 11 .
Golfers had been allowed to drive around officers directing traffic earlier in the week to get into the club, according to Romines.
"I think the officer that was directing traffic was maybe not part of the event traffic detail and so that's where the miscommunication arose and that's why we're here," he said.
Scheffler was following instructions he received earlier in the week, unaware of the fatal accident and the changes necessitated by it.
"They are allowed to go through, that's why they have the credentials, it's their way through," Romines said. "Unaware that there had been a wreck, he proceeded like they'd been instructed to."
Scottie Scheffler arrest video
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