Louisville Police: Scottie Scheffler Arrest Not Caught on Bodycam Video

Scottie Scheffler's arrest before the 2024 PGA Championship on Friday morning was not caught on police body camera footage, a spokesman for the Louisville Metro Police Department confirmed to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

"There is no body-worn camera footage of the initial encounter," the police spokesman said in an email. "The incident is under review internally and will proceed through the judicial process. We would like to restate that all parties involved are fully cooperating. LMPD is committed to a thorough investigation for all involved."

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said early Saturday that city officials had not yet obtained body camera footage of Scheffler's arrest.

"The officer did not have body cam footage turned on during the incident," Greenberg told reporters Saturday. "We will release footage that we have ... to my knowledge, we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer (Bryan) Gillis and Mr. Scheffler."

A fatal accident outside of Valhalla Golf Club disrupted traffic in the area. In their report, Louisville police said Scheffler was attempting to bypass the congestion and drive into the club. He allegedly disregarded Gillis' directions and "accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground." Authorities said Gillis "suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee."

Scheffler faces four charges stemming from the incident: second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

The two-time Masters champion was taken into custody and released before teeing off in the second round.

In a statement to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, Scheffler said he "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," he said. "I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today."

Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde also provided a statement from Steve Romines, a Louisville-based attorney representing the star golfer.

"In the early hours of the morning in advance of his tee time Scottie was going to the course to begin his pre round preparation," Romines said. "Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area it was a very chaotic situation, he was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player's vehicle with credentials visible.

"In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer's traffic signals resulting in these charges. Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed. He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle. We will litigate this matter as needed and he will be completely exonerated."

In September 2020, the city of Louisville agreed to a $12 million settlement with the family of Breonna Taylor, a resident who was shot and killed in her home by Louisville police. Following an investigation, the U.S. Justice Department found that Louisville police "engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law."

A requirement for officers to wear a body camera was among the reforms made in the wake of Taylor's death.