Scottie Scheffler's charges dropped after arrest outside PGA Championship
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Scottie Scheffler on May 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: Tim Heitman/Getty Images
Kentucky prosecutors dropped the charges against golfer Scottie Scheffler following his arrest earlier this month outside the PGA Championship, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell said Wednesday.
Why it matters: Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world, was charged with felony assault of a police officer and three misdemeanors after trying to drive around the scene of a fatal incident outside of the golf club that was hosting the major tournament.
Catch up quick: The fatal incident involving a pedestrian had "set in motion a confusing and chaotic scene" near the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, where the tournament was being held, O'Connell said in court Wednesday.
- Scheffler's arrest citation said he had disregarded a police detective's instructions about stopping at the scene and accelerated forward, dragging the detective to the ground and leading to his hospitalization.
- Scheffler previously said in a statement that the episode was a result of a "big misunderstanding" and that he had "never intended to disregard any of the instructions."
Driving the news: "My team and I began reviewing evidence as it came to us" in the days following Scheffler's arrest, O'Connell said.
- In light of that review of the evidence, his office could not go forward with prosecuting the charges, O'Connell said.
- Scheffler's actions and the evidence surrounding his interaction with the detective "do not satisfy the elements of any criminal offenses," O'Connell said, putting forth a motion to dismiss the charges.
- The judge accepted the motion to dismiss, per AP.
- "We respect the County Attorney's decision, and we respect the judicial process," the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a statement.
What they're saying: In a statement posted to his Instagram story Wednesday, Scheffler said the case was the result of a "severe miscommunication in a chaotic situation."
- "I wish to put this incident behind me and move on," he added.
Editor's note: This story was updated with a statement from Scheffler.
