Scottie Scheffler Arrested at PGA

[theguru]

ESPN has an article on it that appears to do a pretty good job of giving both sides of what happened.  

The Police say:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The police officer who attempted to stop world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler from entering Valhalla Golf Club on Friday morning was dragged to the ground and suffered "pain, swelling and abrasions" to his left wrist and knee after Scheffler's car accelerated, according to an incident report released by the Louisville Metro Police Department.

The report, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, said detective Bryan Gillis, identified as Det. Gillis in the report, was directing traffic at Shelbyville Road near Gate 1 of Valhalla Golf Club, the site of this week's PGA Championship. Traffic outside the golf course had been stopped after a man was struck and killed by a shuttle bus around 5 a.m. ET.

"The subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground," the report said.

The "Advocates" for Scottie Scheffler say:

"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers," Scheffler said in a statement. "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. I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.

According to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, who witnessed the incident, Scheffler was trying to drive around the crash scene. At one point, according to Darlington, Gillis attached himself to the side of Scheffler's car. Scheffler stopped his car as he turned into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club.

After about 20 to 30 seconds, Scheffler rolled down his window to talk to the officer. The officer grabbed Scheffler's arm to pull him out of the vehicle, according to Darlington. The officer reached inside the vehicle to open the door, and once Scheffler was pulled out, he was pushed against the car and placed in handcuffs.

Scheffler's attorney, Steven Romines, told ESPN that the golfer attempted to enter Valhalla Golf Club as he had been instructed to earlier, unaware there had been a fatal wreck just up the road.

"They are allowed to go through, that's why they have the credential and the wave-through," Romines said. "[Scheffler] was unaware there had been a wreck, and he proceeded like they'd been instructed to. He did exactly as he was instructed to enter the premises."

Romines said Scheffler would cooperate fully with police, and "we'll deal with it as it progresses."

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/40164654/officer-dragged-ground-trying-stop-scottie-scheffler-car

There is more at the above link but that mostly covers it. 

Of all that, what stands out to me is what Jeff Darlington said:

"Scheffler was trying to drive around the crash scene."

================

Context means a lot here.  Was Scheffler driving around the crash scene as directed by officers or was Scheffler driving around the crash scene of his own volition?

At this point we need more information before coming to any conclusions. 

[TheDeuce]

If LMPD is talking, they are lying. 

[theguru]

Here is part of the Uniform Citation/Post-Arrest Complaint.  If what is written on this citation is true, he absolutely should have been arrested, anyone would have been arrested.  Additionally, if something like this happened where I live (Boone County, Kentucky) there would have been at least a 50K Cash Bond, if not a lot more, but I guess Jefferson County is one of those no bail places. 

[Jumper_Dad]

1 hour ago, theguru said:

Here is part of the Uniform Citation/Post-Arrest Complaint.  If what is written on this citation is true, he absolutely should have been arrested, anyone would have been arrested.  Additionally, if something like this happened where I live (Boone County, Kentucky) there would have been at least a 50K Cash Bond, if not a lot more, but I guess Jefferson County is one of those no bail places. 

 I think someone said earlier today that the current owner of the course bonded him out on a $25,000 bond. That however could be someone passing along incorrect information. 

[nkypete]

1 hour ago, theguru said:

Here is part of the Uniform Citation/Post-Arrest Complaint.  If what is written on this citation is true, he absolutely should have been arrested, anyone would have been arrested.  Additionally, if something like this happened where I live (Boone County, Kentucky) there would have been at least a 50K Cash Bond, if not a lot more, but I guess Jefferson County is one of those no bail places. 

508.020   Assault in the second degree. (1) A person is guilty of assault in the second degree when:  (a) He intentionally causes serious physical injury to another person; or  (b) He intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; or  (c) He wantonly causes serious physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument.  (2) Assault in the second degree is a Class C felony.  Effective: January 1, 1975 History: Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 66, effective January 1, 1975. 

Class C Felonies – Prison sentence between five to ten years

[theguru]

11 minutes ago, Jumper_Dad said:

 I think someone said earlier today that the current owner of the course bonded him out on a $25,000 bond. That however could be someone passing along incorrect information. 

I listened to a news report that claimed it was an OR release.  That could be an error and I should have stated it as such when I posted above, thanks for that. 

[theguru]

26 minutes ago, nkypete said:

508.020   Assault in the second degree. (1) A person is guilty of assault in the second degree when:  (a) He intentionally causes serious physical injury to another person; or  (b) He intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument; or  (c) He wantonly causes serious physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument.  (2) Assault in the second degree is a Class C felony.  Effective: January 1, 1975 History: Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 66, effective January 1, 1975. 

Class C Felonies – Prison sentence between five to ten years

Thanks for that.  The citation says Assault, 2nd Degree - Police Officer.  So I am too long in the tooth to know why it is charged that way when the actual statue doesn't include the part about a Police Officer but I assume it means the criminal elements rise above Assault in the 3rd Degree which is the original charge used in cases like this and I also assume that means Assault 3rd is a lesser, included offense.  I need someone smarter than me to sort this out for us but for measure here is the Assault 3rd KRS:

508.025 Assault in the third degree.
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree when the actor:
(a) Recklessly, with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or intentionally
causes or attempts to cause physical injury to:
1. A state, county, city, or federal peace officer;
2. An employee of a detention facility, or state residential treatment facility
or state staff secure facility for residential treatment which provides for
the care, treatment, or detention of a juvenile charged with or
adjudicated delinquent because of a public offense or as a youthful
offender;
3. A healthcare provider as defined in KRS 311.821, if the event occurs
while the healthcare provider is providing medical care in an emergency
room of a hospital;
4. An employee of the Department for Community Based Services
employed as a social worker to provide direct client services, if the
event occurs while the worker is performing job-related duties;
5. Paid or volunteer emergency medical services personnel certified or
licensed pursuant to KRS Chapter 311A, if the event occurs while
personnel are performing job-related duties;
6. A paid or volunteer member of an organized fire department, if the
event occurs while the member is performing job-related duties;
7. Paid or volunteer rescue squad personnel affiliated with the Division of
Emergency Management of the Department of Military Affairs or a
local disaster and emergency services organization pursuant to KRS
Chapter 39F, if the event occurs while personnel are performing jobrelated duties;
8. A probation and parole officer;
9. A transportation officer appointed... [redacted]
10. A public or private elementary or secondary school or school district
classified or certified employee, school bus driver, or other school
employee acting in the course and scope of the employee's employment;
or
11. A public or private elementary or secondary school or school district
volunteer acting in the course and scope of that person's volunteer
service for the school or school district;
(b) Being a person confined in a detention facility, or a juvenile in a state
residential treatment facility or state staff secure facility for residential
treatment which provides for the care, treatment, or detention of a juvenile
charged with or adjudicated delinquent because of a public offense or as a
youthful offender, inflicts physical injury upon or throws or causes feces, or
urine, or other bodily fluid to be thrown upon an employee of the facility; or
(c) Intentionally causes a person, whom the actor knows or reasonably should
know to be a peace officer discharging official duties, to come into contact
with saliva, vomit, mucus, blood, seminal fluid, urine, or feces without the
consent of the peace officer.
(2) (a) For a violation of subsection (1)(a) of this section, assault in the third degree
is a Class D felony, unless the offense occurs during a declared emergency as
defined by KRS 39A.020 arising from a natural or man-made disaster, within
the area covered by the emergency declaration, and within the area impacted
by the disaster, in which case it is a Class C felony.
(b) For a violation of subsection (1)(b) of this section, assault in the third degree
is a Class D felony.
(c) For violations of subsection (1)(c) of this section, assault in the third degree is
a Class B misdemeanor, unless the assault is with saliva, vomit, mucus, blood,
seminal fluid, urine, or feces from an adult who knows that he or she has a
serious communicable disease and competent medical or epidemiological
evidence demonstrates that the specific type of contact caused by the actor is
likely to cause transmission of the disease or condition, in which case it is a
Class A misdemeanor.
(d) As used in paragraph (c) of this subsection, "serious communicable disease"
means a non-airborne disease that is transmitted from person to person and
determined to have significant, long-term consequences on the physical health
or life activities of the person infected.
Effective: June 29, 2023
History: Amended 2023 Ky. Acts ch. 109, sec. 4, effective June 29, 2023. -- Amended
2022 Ky. Acts ch. 151, sec. 2, effective July 14, 2022. -- Amended 2018 Ky. Acts
ch. 189, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2018. -- Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 128, sec. 1,
effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective July 15,
2002; and ch. 360, sec. 1, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch. 14,
sec. 56, effective July 14, 2000; ch. 193, sec. 17, effective July 14, 2000; and ch.
345, sec. 7, effective July 14, 2000. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 345, sec. 1,
effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 397, sec. 1, effective July 15,
1994. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 380, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1990. -- Created
1982 Ky. Acts ch. 429, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1982.
Legislative Research Commission Note (6/20/2005). 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 128, sec. 1,
which included an amendment to this statute, provides that the Act shall be known as
the "Brenda D. Cowan Act."

[theguru]

So for it to be Assault 2nd you would have to prove an intentional mental state, as in Scheffler intentionally disregarded the officer's command and the officer was injured with by a dangerous instrument (the vehicle).

(b) He intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument;

Assault 3rd is a no brainer here (again, assuming what is on the citation is what happened).  Recklessly caused physical injury with a dangerous instrument. 

508.025 Assault in the third degree.
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree when the actor:
(a) Recklessly, with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or intentionally
causes or attempts to cause physical injury to:
1. A state, county, city, or federal peace officer;

[theguru]

I have no idea on this one but I sure hope the officer that stopped/was injured/and charged Scheffler, was wearing a body cam.  And if he was, I hope that gets released right away.  If he wasn't, ugh. 

With all that said, I have no idea what the LMPD policy is on body cams but I can see where a detective working a traffic detail where all hands have to be on deck may not be required to wear a body cam. 

[tcjkbt]

As to bond and I don't know what it was set at or if it was ROR,  he is not a danger to the community, he will not fail to appear in court (especially with high-powered counsel), and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.    I can see ROR.   I say let the facts play out before judgments  are made.

[theguru]

3 minutes ago, tcjkbt said:

As to bond and I don't know what it was set at or if it was ROR,  he is not a danger to the community, he will not fail to appear in court (especially with high-powered counsel), and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.    I can see ROR.   I say let the facts play out before judgments  are made.

Of course we are speculating on this but generally speaking the problem with that is if you are going to let someone rich and famous out on ROR after being charged with assaulting a peace officer you have to let everyone out on ROR that assaults a peace officer.  So it is much, much bigger than any one case. 

[theguru]

6 minutes ago, tcjkbt said:

As to bond and I don't know what it was set at or if it was ROR,  he is not a danger to the community, he will not fail to appear in court (especially with high-powered counsel), and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.    I can see ROR.   I say let the facts play out before judgments  are made.

As far as the judgement it is pretty simple to me, Scheffler either complied with the officer or he did not comply with the officer.  

[tcjkbt]

Here I go speculating.......but I can see a lot of reasonable doubt in this case, especially since the verdict must be unanimous.

[theguru]

4 minutes ago, tcjkbt said:

Here I go speculating.......but I can see a lot of reasonable doubt in this case, especially since the verdict must be unanimous.

My guess is there will be some type of minor plea and then Scheffler will pay the officer and there will be a non-disclosure agreement. 

[Jumper_Dad]

41 minutes ago, theguru said:

My guess is there will be some type of minor plea and then Scheffler will pay the officer and there will be a non-disclosure agreement. 

The attorney hired to represent him is maybe the best defense attorney in Louisville, he'll figure out the least painful way out of this.