Current:Home > NewsOfficer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated -Mastery Money Tools
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
View
Date:2025-04-12 17:26:30
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for failing to have his body-worn camera activated when he approached the golfer’s vehicle — an interaction that police said resulted in the officer being dragged to the ground, authorities said Thursday.
Louisville officials said during a news conference that they do not have video footage of the initial interaction Friday morning between Scheffler and Louisville Detective Bryan Gillis outside the gates of Valhalla Golf Club as the venue hosted the major.
The golfer was arrested on charges that he injured Gillis and disobeyed commands, but Scheffler said “he never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” and the incident was caused by a misunderstanding.
“Detective Gillis should have turned on his body-worn camera but did not,” Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel said. “His failure to do so is a violation of LMPD policy on uniforms and equipment.”
Gwinn-Villaroel did not elaborate on what “corrective action” has been taken against Gillis for violating the policy.
Police also said they are releasing a video of the events leading up to Scheffler’s arrest, taken by a street camera outside the golf course. Louisville officials have said it is the only video they have of the encounter.
Scheffler was driving before dawn to Valhalla Golf Club to play in the second round of the tournament Friday when he was arrested and hauled to jail. Officers at the scene were investigating the death of a tournament worker who was fatally struck by a shuttle bus outside the gates shortly before Scheffler arrived.
Gillis, who approached Scheffler’s car on foot, wrote in an arrest report that Scheffler “refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging” Gillis to the ground. Gillis said his uniform pants were damaged in the fall and he was taken to the hospital for his injuries.
Scheffler said “he never intended to disregard any of the instructions,” and the incident was caused by a misunderstanding.
A few hours later, after a trip to jail, Scheffler returned to the golf course in time for his 10:08 a.m. tee time. He finished the tournament Sunday tied for eighth place, enough for a tournament payout of about $520,000.
He is scheduled to return to Louisville on June 3 to be arraigned on four charges, including second-degree felony assault of a police officer.
Louisville police’s current body camera policy was enacted amid controversy in 2020 after officers shot Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman who was killed during a botched drug raid. At the time, the plain-clothes officers who served the warrant and fired at Taylor were not required to wear body cameras.
The new policy required all officers to turn on the camera “prior to engaging in all law enforcement activities and encounters.”
The police chief at the time of Taylor’s death was later fired when officers at the scene of another fatal shooting failed to turn on their body-worn cameras.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Why millions of Gaza residents will soon run out of food and clean water
- America can't resist fast fashion. Shein, with all its issues, is tailored for it
- Report: Abortion declined significantly in North Carolina in first month after new restrictions
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Songwriter, icon, mogul? Taylor Swift's 'Eras' Tour movie latest economic boon for star
- Sam's Club offers up to 70% discounts on new memberships through the weekend
- Fear and confusion mark key moments of Lahaina residents’ 911 calls during deadly wildfire
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa
Ranking
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- 7 elementary school students injured after North Carolina school bus veers off highway, hits building
- Parties running in Poland’s Sunday parliamentary election hold final campaign rallies
- EU warns China that European public could turn more protectionist if trade deficit isn’t reduced
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Troye Sivan harnesses ‘levity and fun’ to fuel third full album, ‘Something to Give Each Other’
- Ex-IRS contractor pleads guilty to illegally disclosing Trump's tax returns
- France has banned pro-Palestinian protests and vowed to protect Jews from resurgent antisemitism
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Taylor Swift's Sweet Moment With Brittany Mahomes at Kansas City Chiefs Game Hits Different
China’s inflation data show economy in doldrums despite a slight improvement in trade
2 men charged with pocketing millions intended to help New York City’s homeless people
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Chipotle menu prices are going up again, marking the 4th increase in 2 years
Hamas training videos, posted months ago, foreshadowed assault on Israel
Taking the temperature of the US consumer