5 Days Before Scottie Scheffler’s Arraignment, Leaked Audio Evidence Forces a Dramatic Twist in Valhalla Arrest Case

Scottie Scheffler might land in fresh trouble courtesy of a new video of his arrest. The absence of any bodycam footage from the arresting officer, Bryan Gillis, somewhat favored world no. 1. However, in the new clip shared on X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Alex Myers, Scheffler accepted that he panicked because of his fast-approaching tee time.

In the clip, originally shared by Maxwell Mitchell on Facebook on May 23, Scheffler handcuffed inside a police vehicle, is seen interacting with another officer of the Louisville Metro Police Department. “If someone is telling you to stop, no matter who it is, you don’t keep going,”  the officer can be heard saying. To which Scheffler admitted, “You’re right, I should have stopped. I did get a little impatient because I’m quite late for my tee time.“

Scheffler explained that he was already half an hour late because the roadblock forced him to take a detour. Traffic was stopped in front of gate no. 1 at Valhalla because of a shuttle bus hitting and killing John Millis. 

Notably, the two-time Major champion maintained in the PGA Championship press conference that the entire fiasco was the result of a ‘big misunderstanding.’ In the clip too, the world no. 1 said he didn’t realize it was an officer in charge, mistaking him for a security guard. However, the LMPD officer cut him short, questioning why it mattered whether it was a police officer or a security guard. 

Interestingly, the reigning Masters champion also added, “As he (Bryan Gillis) was reaching for the car, he grabbed my shoulder and hit me.” The officer tried to defend his colleague, claiming the intention was to stop him from breaking the blockade. However, world no. 1 countered, “[Gillis] seemed to be a little over-aggressive because the entrance (Valhalla gates) was open.” 

Notably, in the wake of his arrest, a handful of his PGA Tour colleagues opined that Scottie Scheffler, unaware of the accident, thought it was a pre-tournament traffic block maintained by tournament securities. Some of them noted it was a regular practice among PGA Tour pros.

In the purported video, though, the police officer can be seen arguing that they were wearing distinct yellow jackets. When the police officer informed him that he still dragged Byran Gillis with his car and didn’t get out when he asked him to, Scottie Scheffler reiterated that he was unaware of Gillis being an officer in charge. Notably, tournament security also wears yellow jackets, and it wasn’t entirely clear from the clip whether the officers had ‘POLICE’ etched on the front.

Also of note is, Bob Wischusen, a play-by-play announcer, who was at the spot, told Golf.com  “My impression was he was kind of running alongside chasing the car, and maybe he tripped and fell. I mean, there was kind of an outcropping or median, you know, by the front gate. And keep in mind, it was raining. It was 6 o’clock in the morning. It was dark.”

Scottie Scheffler was charged with a second-degree assault of a police officer. Gillis, in his report, claimed the 27-year-old ‘dragged’ him resulting in pain and abrasion on his knee and wrist. Interestingly, Gillis, who has faced disciplinary actions before, received coercive actions for failing to turn on his bodycam. However, the new video muddies the water further.

Is Scottie Scheffler on the backfoot now?

Scottie Scheffler’s attorney, Steve Romines, has previously swatted aside the allegations of his client hurting a police officer. There were reports of the charges being dropped, which Romines denied, vowing to fight till the end if need be. 

The footage earlier released by LMPD didn’t offer any new details. Although the newly-released clip doesn’t show the initial scuffle, Scottie Scheffler not countering the officer’s charge might offer some leverage to LMPD in the legal jousting. The officer in the clip, too, added that Gillis had a ‘scrape on his knee’ and was being ‘checked by EMS.’ Notably, Scheffler’s request to speak with Gillis was turned down by the officer. 

Romines is scheduled to speak to the media today. Whereas, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell will address the issue on Wednesday. Scheffler’s arraignment date, earlier scheduled on May 21, was postponed to June 3, despite protest from O’Connell. It appeared as though the matter had been settled, but the new clip might only complicate the matter further.