Louisville cop who arrested Scottie Scheffler speaks out after charges dropped

golf

by Christian Arnold

Detective Brian Gillis is ready to put the case involving golf star Scottie Scheffler behind him, but not before he takes offense at comments made by Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, after charges in the case were dropped.

Gillis, who arrested Scheffler earlier this month outside Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville ahead of the second day of the PGA Championship, claimed in a statement Wednesday that Scheffler had in fact “obtained drugs from his car” and suffered “visible injuries” to his knee and wrist, but expressed gratitude for the “dignity, humility and respect” Scheffler showed under the circumstances.

“Mr. Scheffler and I agree that going forward there will be no ill will in this matter.” Gillis wrote:“Instead of reacting negatively in public, he has chosen to speak with dignity, humility and respect, which I and my family appreciate.”

However, officers targeted statements made by Romines that led Gillis to question his sincerity.

Speaking at a press conference after the charges against Scheffler were dropped, Romines suggested he might sue the world-class golfer, claiming he had been “wrongfully arrested.”

“I was disappointed and disturbed that Steve Romines made the allegations today that he was wrongfully arrested and challenged my honesty and integrity,” Gillis said in a statement. “I would be surprised and disappointed if Mr. Scheffler actually engaged in these statements.”

“To be clear, I was dragged to the ground by the car and suffered visible injuries to my knee and wrist. I will recover and be OK.”

Gillis also addressed the high cost of the pants the Louisville Police Department requires its officers to purchase.

“P.S,” Gillis continued, “Yes, the police are making us buy a pair of pants that cost a whopping $80. It’s certainly a ruin for everyone involved, but it’s OK Scotty. I never would have imagined I’d lose the most famous pair of pants in the country for weeks because of this. Take care, take care.”

Scheffler faces four charges in the case, the most serious of which is a felony count of second-degree assault on a police officer.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell formally dropped the charges on Wednesday.

Scheffler was arrested outside the PGA Championship on the second day of the tournament after traffic was disrupted while police investigated the scene where a vendor working at the PGA Championship was hit and killed by a shuttle bus.

Scheffler, in his own statement, also denied bearing any ill will towards Gillis.

“I would like to put this incident behind me and move on and I would ask him to do the same. Police officers have a difficult job but I have high respect for them. This was a serious miscommunication in a chaotic situation,” Scheffler wrote.