CNN Premiere: Top Police Officials Privately Express Charges Against Golfer Scottie Scheffler Should Be Reduced – Source

CNN
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Top police officials in Louisville, Kentucky, have privately expressed concerns that charges against world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler – who allegedly attempted to drive around the scene of a fatal accident – were excessive, a source close to the discussions told CNN. .

It’s the first indication that some top brass at the Louisville Metro Police Department believe the charges against Scheffler should be reduced.

The 27-year-old golfer was attempting to travel to the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club around 6 a.m. on May 17 when he arrived at the scene of a fatal accident. He injured a police officer who was directing traffic, then was stopped and arrested, police said.

Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, as well as lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey signals from officers directing traffic, according to state court records. Jefferson County. He was released from prison and returned to the golf course for his tee time in the second round of the major tournament.

In a statement last week, Scheffler said he had proceeded as instructed and “there was a big misunderstanding about what I thought I was being asked to do.”

Scheffler’s attorney, Steven Romines, told CNN in a statement Friday that he plans to plead not guilty to the charges.

At a recent meeting, several Louisville police officials discussed the charges against Scheffler, and the group agreed that the felony charge seemed excessive given the details of the case, according to the source with knowledge directly from the meeting.

It’s unclear whether they discussed those opinions with the county prosecutor assigned to the case and how that might ultimately affect the charging decision.

“As we have previously stated, no decisions have been made regarding prosecution in the case involving Mr. Scheffler,” said Josh Abner, a spokesman for the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. “We are continuing to gather information and will review it and proceed accordingly.”

Louisville police will hold a news conference Thursday to address the case and are expected to release additional video of the arrest from a traffic pole camera. It is unclear whether the first meeting between Scheffler and the detective was filmed.

Police will investigate whether Det. Bryan Gillis, whose body camera was not on, followed department protocols during the incident, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said during a news conference Tuesday.

“I think it’s extremely important that we do this, not just at high-profile events like the ones that took place on Friday, but on a regular basis,” Greenberg added. “And if the policies are not followed, there will be transparency about it. Actions will be taken. »

O’Connell’s office faces growing pressure from other local officials to reevaluate the charges against Scheffler.

Louisville City Council member Anthony Piagentini, who represents the district where Scheffler was arrested, told CNN he thinks the case is overcharged.

“I think the charges should either be dropped entirely or at least reduced to a very, very small misdemeanor,” Piagentini said. “I don’t know all of the evidence, but I know enough to say that the officer was trying to do his job, Mr. Scheffler was trying to do his job and an unfortunate circumstance occurred.”

Piagentini said he found it strange that O’Connell showed up in court Monday to object to the postponement of the arraignment, which Romines had requested because of a scheduling problem the attorney was facing .

“It’s such a minor procedural detail,” Piagentini said, adding that O’Connell usually asks another member of his team to defend such a motion in court. “His actions show that he is treating this matter differently, and he should not.”

CNN has also reached out to the Louisville Metro Police Department for comment.

Scheffler is scheduled to play Thursday at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. It has a start time of 1:45 p.m. ET.

This story has been updated with additional information.