Watch Scottie Scheffler Arrest Video
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was arrested by Louisville Metro Police on Friday morning after attempting to drive into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club, the location of this week’s PGA Championship.
Traffic near the golf course had been halted following a tragic incident where a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET.
Scheffler is facing charges including second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer. The assault charge is a felony, while the other charges are misdemeanors.
Major Jason Logsdon of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections informed ESPN that Scheffler was released at 8:40 a.m. ET Friday without bail. He arrived at Valhalla less than an hour before his scheduled tee time at 10:08 a.m. ET.
In a statement, Scheffler said, “This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
According to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the event, Scheffler was attempting to drive around the crash site via a median. A police officer instructed Scheffler to stop, but he continued driving approximately 10 to 20 yards toward the entrance.
At one point, an officer attached himself to the side of Scheffler’s car. Scheffler stopped as he approached the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club.
After 20 to 30 seconds, Scheffler rolled down his window to speak with the officer. The officer grabbed Scheffler’s arm and pulled him out of the vehicle. The officer then reached inside to open the door, and once Scheffler was out, he was pushed against the car and handcuffed.
Darlington, who was standing at the entrance when Scheffler was detained, reported that Scheffler turned to him and asked, “Can you help?”
An officer then instructed Darlington to back away.
