Scottie Scheffler was prepared to take legal action against Louisville police if the charges against his May 17 arrest had not been dropped, the world’s number one golfer revealed Tuesday.
Speaking publicly for the first time since charges against him were dropped last week, Scheffler explained that he did not want to file a lawsuit, but said he and attorney Steve Romines were prepared to do so. to do after his arrest for second-degree assault of a police officer.
“It was something that if we needed to use it, I think Steve was more than willing to use it, just because, like I said, there was a ton of evidence in our favor ” Scheffler said Tuesday, as quoted by SI. com at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.
“There were eyewitnesses at the scene who corroborated my account and the video evidence, the officer then spoke to me,” he continued. “All the evidence pointed to exactly what my side of the story was, and so if we needed it…I don’t really know how to describe it, but basically, if I had to stand in court, I think Steve was more than ready to take legal action.
Scheffler faced four charges, including second-degree assault on a police officer, following the dramatic events of May 17, when he was arrested upon arriving for the second round of the PGA Championship. The 27-year-old man was accused of speeding in his car when officers asked him to stop and dragging Louisville police Detective Bryan Gillis to the ground. However, security footage could not corroborate these claims.
Scottie Scheffler was ready to take legal action against Louisville police, he said Tuesday
Scheffler was accused of dragging Detective Bryan Gillis (pictured) to the ground with his car
Louisville police released two videos of the incident, neither of which shows Scheffler dragging Gillis to the ground, as one citation claims.
Although Scheffler previously accused Gillis of hitting him with a flashlight during his arrest, the world’s number one golfer said he did not want to subject the city of Louisville to a difficult legal process by filing suit in justice.
“But ultimately, I didn’t want to have to file a lawsuit against Louisville because then the people of Louisville are going to have to pay for the mistakes of their police department, and that just doesn’t seem fair,” he said.
“So at no point did I want to sue them, but if that happened, I think my lawyer was more than willing to use that as a bargaining chip more than anything else.”
Last week, however, Scheffler was cleared of all charges after the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to dismiss the case, admitting that his assertion that it was simply a big misunderstanding is now “corroborated by the evidence”.
In still camera footage, a police officer appears to ram Scheffler’s car while ordering him to stop (left), before the golf star exits his vehicle and is taken away in handcuffs (right).
In light of this outcome, Gillis released a statement praising the golf star for coming to terms with the incident himself, while also paying tribute to the family of John Mills – the 69-year-old years old who was hit by a bus and killed outside. Valhalla, which created the traffic problems that led to Scheffler’s arrest.
“A tragic incident has occurred and Mr. Mills’ family remains in my family’s thoughts and prayers,” he said of the fatal collision, which caused the traffic jam that led to Scheffler’s arrest. “It was a chaotic situation for everyone involved. Ensuring the safety of everyone nearby was my top priority.
‘Mr. Scheffler and I both agree that there will be no ill will about this in the future. Instead of reacting negatively publicly, he chose to speak with dignity, humility and respect. My family and I appreciate this.
In police body camera footage, Scheffler is seen admitting he “should have stopped” before accusing the “too aggressive” Gillis of “hitting me with his flashlight.” Scheffler concedes that he “should have stopped” but said he “didn’t know” Gillis was an officer.
Speaking on Tuesday, Scheffler said he hoped to continue, while acknowledging that his now-infamous photo would likely follow him for the rest of his life.
“And so it’s not something I like to talk about and it’s something I hope to move past, but when the charges are dropped, that’s kind of just the beginning of kind of moving past , if that makes sense,” Scheffler said. said. “So I’m kind of dealing with it now. It was definitely a little relief, but not a complete relief because it’s something that will always kind of stick with me.
“That mug shot, I’m sure, isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.”
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