Body cam footage from Scottie Scheffler‘s arrest at the PGA Championship earlier this month has just surfaced … and in the new video, you can hear the world’s best golfer admitting he “should have stopped” for the cop who was barking orders at him outside the major event.
The clip was posted on Facebook back on May 23 — six days after Scheffler was first arrested — but it just began making its rounds on other social media apps on Wednesday morning.
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It shows Scheffler in the back of a squad car minutes after he allegedly ignored a policeman and then dragged him with his vehicle as he attempted to make his way into Valhalla Golf Club to get ready for his early morning tee time.
Scheffler said in the video he initially believed the cop was a security guard — but then he admitted it shouldn’t have made a difference to him.
Louisville Metro Police Department
“You’re right,” Scheffler said as he was cuffed in the back of a car. “I should have stopped. I did get a little impatient because I’m quite late for my tee time.”
Scheffler, though, did say he was scared by the cop’s behavior … claiming the officer grabbed him by his shoulder and hit him during the encounter.
“It seemed to be a little bit over aggressive because the entrance was open,” Scheffler said in the video. “And I pulled a little bit because I was afraid. I thought he was going to start hitting me and I didn’t know who he was. He didn’t tell me he was a police officer.”
“All I saw was the yellow jacket. I didn’t know what he was doing.”
Scheffler was then informed his actions had injured the officer … which the golfer seemed to regret — although he stood by his stance that he would have behaved differently if the policeman had properly identified himself.
TMZ.com
“If I knew he was a police officer, I would have been much less afraid,” Scheffler said. “But panic kind of set in. As you can see, I’m still shaking because I was afraid. I didn’t know who he was. He didn’t say, ‘Police, get out of the car.’ He just hit me with his flashlight and yelled, ‘Get out of the car.'”
Scheffler was ultimately taken to a nearby jail and booked on several criminal charges, including felony assault of a police officer. He was able to get out a short time later, and he went on to finish the weekend’s tournament in a tie for eighth despite the ordeal.
It was later revealed by Louisville Metro Police Department chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel that the officer who had the run-in with Scheffler violated policy when he did not turn on his body-worn camera to record the interaction with the golfer.
Nonetheless, Scheffler’s case is still moving forward in the court system … with a hearing slated for Monday.
