Golfer's prompt release from jail rankles some who recall city's police turmoil
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler’s arrest and prompt release from a Louisville jail Friday that let him play in a high-profile tournament after being booked on charges including felony assault has rankled some who question whether he was given preferential treatment because of his fame.
They recall what they consider malfeasance by the Louisville police department, which a national report last year found has used excessive force and invalid search warrants, and wonder why Scheffler was released so quickly.
Police are continuing their investigation, but here’s a look at the incident and policing in Louisville:
THE ARREST
Officers were redirecting traffic after a fatal accident near the Valhalla Golf Club when Scheffler allegedly disobeyed an officer’s command. His car accelerated forward and dragged the officer to the ground, according to a police report, and the officer suffered injuries to his wrist and was taken to the hospital.
The 27-year-old Scheffler, a Texas native, was arrested outside the club just after 6 a.m., taken to jail, dressed in an orange jumpsuit and had his mug shot taken. The Louisville Metro Police Department said he was booked on four charges, including second-degree assault of a police officer.
But by 10:08 a.m. he was on the other side of the city and teeing off at the PGA Championship, which awards a $3 million prize to the winner. Scheffler had been released on his own recognizance, without posting bond, after agreeing that he would make all his court dates in Louisville.
Scheffler and his attorney have said he didn’t intentionally do anything wrong, and he misunderstood police commands and was simply trying to get to the course. His lawyer previously represented the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was fatally shot by police in 2020, in a civil suit against the city a few years ago.
THE REACTION
Scheffler was greeted with cheers by fans when he arrived at the golf course, but some in Louisville with memories of a turbulent past took a dim view of the incident.
“A man drags a cop with his vehicle and hospitalizes him. He’s arrested … charged with a felony … and then immediately released so he can make his tee time? Did I get that right?” said Ricky L. Jones, a University of Louisville professor of pan-African studies, on the social platform X.
Bill Miller, a local golf fan who was at the course Friday, said it cast Louisville and the police in a negative light.
“It’s just another bad look for the city,” Miller said. “I’d want to understand what the cop was trying to do. But it’s sad.”
Elsewhere, the incident drew reaction from an Atlanta-area pastor who hosted a funeral for Roger Fortson, a young Black senior airman who was shot by a Florida Sheriff’s deputy at his home this month.
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