WATCH: Scottie Scheffler Arrested, World's No. 1 Golfer Begs for Help as He's Handcuffed and Thrown in Cop Car
Scottie Scheffler, the world's no. 1 golfer, was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club.
May 17 2024, Published 10:06 a.m. ET
Scottie Scheffler, the world's no. 1 golfer, was arrested outside Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, before the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday morning, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In shocking footage captured by ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, the Masters champion can be heard asking, "Can you please help me?" as he is led away in handcuffs and placed into a police car by two officers.
The incident began when Scheffler arrived at the course and tried to enter by allegedly driving around cops who were at the scene following an unrelated fatal bus accident that killed a pedestrian near the club. Believing them to be security staff, he reportedly drove another 10 yards after being instructed by police to stop.
"The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla, Darlington wrote on X. "The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs. He is now being detained in the back of a police car."
Scheffler was charged with felony second-degree assault of a police officer.
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Scheffler was booked at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections and charged with felony second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
He was released at around 8:40 AM and has since returned to the course for a postponed 10:08 AM tee time, where he was met by cheers and cries of "Free Scottie!"
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Steve Romines, a local attorney hired on Scheffler's behalf, explained the situation in a brief news conference, saying, "Apparently there had been a traffic accident, maybe even a fatality, down the road and that had changed the traffic patterns and he was unaware of that. The officer that was directing traffic, that was maybe not part of the event traffic detail, that's where the miscommunication arose."
"They are allowed to go through, they have the credentials, so he proceeded like they had been instructed to. We'll litigate the case as it comes, Scottie will cooperate fully. He did exactly as he was instructed to do to enter the premises. He's been released, we'll decide if he's going to play golf today or not, and we'll deal with the court system as it comes."
The golfer released a statement about his arrest, saying it was a "very chaotic situation."
"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers," Scheffler wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram story. "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 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," he continued. "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."
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