Officer in Scottie Scheffler incident cited for not activating bodycam

Louisville police say the officer who had a confrontation with golfer Scottie Scheffler before the second round of the PGA Championship has been reprimanded for not activating his body-worn camera to record the incident.

Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel told reporters at a news conference Thursday morning that Detective Bryan Gillis ‘should have turned on his body-worn camera but did not.’ As a result, there is no video of the initial interaction between the officer and the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer outside the entrance to Valhalla Golf Club where the tournament was being played.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the police department would release video from a fixed pole camera and a police dash cam on its YouTube page. 

Scheffler was handcuffed, arrested and booked on four charges the morning before the tournament’s second round, but was able to return to the course before his scheduled tee time.

After noting the officer ‘has received corrective action for his policy violation,’ Chief Gwinn-Villaroel added, ‘We respect the judicial process, and we will allow the courts to proceed.’

Neither the police chief nor the mayor took questions from reporters after making their statements.

Scheffler faces charges of second degree assault on a police officer (which is a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic. A preliminary hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday was postponed until June 3.