Kentucky Gov and Louisville Mayor break silence after Scottie Scheffler's arrest amid pedestrian death

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg have broken silence after a pedestrian was killed and Scottie Scheffler was arrested before the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course.

Beshear said he was praying for the victim of the crash that took place before Scheffler’s arrest.

Kentucky Gov Andy Beshear's official statement on the accident

"This morning an incident occurred outside the PGA Championship that resulted in the heartbreaking death of a fellow Kentuckian. Our hearts are broken, and we continue to pray for the victim’s family," Beshear wrote on X.

"The events that occurred afterward are the unfortunate result of this tragic incident, and we are hopeful that all parties involved can come to a resolution," he continued.

What did Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg say?

The victim was identified as John Mills by Greenberg who sent his condolences to his family. He also remarked on the "unfortunate" incident that took place involving Scheffler and Louisville Metro Police.

"This morning, our city experienced a tragic accident that took the life of John Mills, a Louisvillian who will be greatly missed by his family and our community," he said. "Our focus is on this family who lost their loved one. I have spoken with members of Mr. Mills’ family to convey our city’s condolences." 

"Following this tragedy, LMPD stopped traffic to assist with its investigation into the fatal accident. It is unfortunate that an incident took place between an LMPD officer and Mr. Scheffler while he was attempting to enter Valhalla. LMPD is investigating this incident, and the legal process will proceed. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation," Greenberg added.

"We remain focused on the tragic loss of life and will share more information on both of these matters as available" he said. 

Victim John Mills died at the accident site

The morning at Valhalla Golf Course kicked off after a pedestrian was struck by a shuttle bus while crossing a road in a lane dedicated to tournament traffic and was pronounced dead at the accident site around 5.09 am. The PGA of America said the victim was a worker with one of its vendors.

"This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker with one of our vendors was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus outside Valhalla Golf Club," the PGA of America said, per Fox News "This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship. We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones."

Scottie Scheffler asked for help during arrest

Scheffler then drove past a police officer shortly after 6 am in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.

The officer screamed at him to stop and then attached himself to the car until Scheffler stopped his vehicle about 10 yards later. Darlington characterized it as a "misunderstanding with traffic flow."

"Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’" Darlington said on ESPN’s 'SportsCenter'.

"He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively," he added.

What charges does Scottie Scheffler face?

Scheffler was booked into the Louisville Department of Corrections later Friday. He was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

A police report said a detective was knocked down after Scheffler refused "to comply and accelerated forward." The detective was allegedly dragged to the ground and suffered injuries to his wrist and knee.

"The main thing is he was proceeding exactly as he was directed in a marked vehicle with credentials," Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, said in a statement. "He didn’t do anything intentionally wrong."

Internet says it's a bad day 'for Louisville and Kentucky'

Netizens reacted to the governor and mayor's statement released after the unfortunate incident.

One X user tweeted, "Bad day for Louisville and Kentucky, very bad day for them cause they already have a bad reputation for over Policing."

"Wasn’t he just detained nothing more" said another. 

"No way Scheffler would attempt felonious assault on a police officer. Given his last name is not Trump, also no way any reasonable DA agrees to prosecute," shared with one.

"Louisville is a shit**e and that mayor is a Mayor Pete clone. PGA should never play another event there and Scottie needs to sue them into oblivion," tweeted another one.

"Scheffler was in the wrong. When a cop tells you stop resisting, do you stop resisting? So when an officer tells you to stop… are you suppose to stop? He’s accountable for his own actions, and his actions have consequences," mocked one user.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.