An officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside of the PGA Championship last week violated his department’s protocol by failing to turn on his body-worn camera, authorities said in an update Thursday.
Det. Bryan Gillis was disciplined by the Louisville Metro Police Department after an internal investigation determined he broke procedure, LMPD Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said at a news conference.
“We understand the seriousness of the failure to capture this interaction, which is why our officer has received corrective action for this policy violation,” Gwinn-Villaroel said. “This corrective action has been notated on a performance observation form.”
Gwinn-Villaroel did not specify what corrective action was taken, nor did she or Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg take questions during the news conference.
Scheffler was arrested Friday after an incident outside of Valhalla Golf Club, which he attempted to enter for the second round of the major tournament. Traffic lanes were closed that morning after a PGA volunteer was fatally struck by a shuttle bus near the golf course.
Police stated in an incident report that Gillis attempted to stop Scheffler, who allegedly then accelerated his vehicle, dragging the officer to the ground. Gillis suffered knee and wrist injuries, according to the incident report.
Scheffler, who described the incident as “a huge misunderstanding,” was hit with four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer. His arraignment is scheduled for June 3.
“We respect the judicial process, and we will allow the courts to proceed accordingly,” Gwinn-Villaroel said.
There is no known footage of Gillis’ initial interaction with Scheffler, Greenberg said during Thursday’s news conference.
Footage of Scheffler’s arrest was captured by a nearby pole camera and from a police car’s dash-cam, the mayor said. Those videos are expected to be released Thursday.
Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, was booked and released Friday before his scheduled tee time, which he made it back to Valhalla for. He shot a 5-under 66 that day and finished eighth in the tournament at 13-under.
Louisville Metro Police officers are required to “immediately activate their [body-worn camera] in recording mode prior to engaging in all law enforcement activities or encounters,” according to the department’s protocol.
The department introduced its current body-cam rules following the 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot in her apartment by Louisville officers in plain clothes during a drug raid.
“Around the country, but especially here in Louisville after the recent past, activating body-worn cameras is critically important for our police department, to have evidence, to maintain the community’s trust, to be transparent,” Greenberg said Thursday.
