Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dropped, ending a legal standoff that began with early morning images of the world No. 1 being frog marched by overzealous Louisville police officers before the second round of the PGA Championship.
Shocking photos of Scheffler in an orange jumpsuit went viral online.
After being threatened with an expensive lawsuit, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell officially dropped the charges against Scheffler, which included a felony for assaulting a policer officer.
Scheffler was not required to be in the courtroom, which itself is ironic, given the tense court hearing from a week ago. One lawyer source said, “That’s what facing a hefty lawsuit will do. That prosecutor was scared straight.”
O’Connell said Scheffler’s defense was “corroborated by the evidence,” which included videos that didn’t match Detective Bryan Gillis’ police report.
“Based upon the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler,” said O’Connell to the judge.
Scheffler posted to Instagram on Wednesday, saying his arrest was a “chaotic situation.”
“I wish to put this incident behind me, and I hope (the officer) will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard,” Scheffler wrote.
O’Connell said Wednesday that his office thoroughly reviewed evidence in the case before deciding to dismiss charges.
“The evidence we reviewed supports the conclusion that Detective Gillis was concerned for public safety at the scene when he initiated contact with Mr. Scheffler,” O’Connell said. “However, Mr. Scheffler’s actions and the evidence surrounding their exchange during this misunderstanding do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses.”
Steve Romines, representing Scheffler, said eyewitness accounts confirmed that the officer lied and was not dragged by the golfer’s car.
“The more evidence that comes out, the more it shows that Scottie was a victim here. And I think everybody sees something like this happen and realizes they’re one wrong turn … from going to jail themselves,” he said.
Romines added, “We were pleased that the case was dismissed today. Obviously, dismissed with prejudice, which is something that we required.
“We were prepared to go forward and litigate this matter. We were also prepared to litigate the case civilly. Whenever Scottie had to appear in court, we were going to begin the litigation regarding the civil matter. He does not wish to do that. He wants to move on.
“Scottie Scheffler doesn’t want the taxpayers of Louisville to have to pay him a dime.”
Associated Press news was used to compile this report.