Scottie Scheffler says he was 'shaking' in fear after getting arrested en route to PGA Tour

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY: Scottie Scheffler has provided details to his reaction on Friday, May 17, arrest while admitting that the incident left him "shaking the whole time."

The 27-year-old was apprehended by the Louisville Metro Police for attempting to bypass a traffic stop and enter the Valhalla Golf Club in the early morning, before being slapped with a felony charge of second-degree assault of a police officer.

He was also charged with three misdemeanors, including third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.

Scottie Scheffler says he 'was never angry'

"I was never angry. I was just in shock, and I think my body was just — I was shaking the whole time," Scheffler recalled during a press conference following the second round of the PGA Championship that same day, during which he claimed the leaderboard.

"I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me. [An officer] came out and we had a nice chat and then the officers inside the jail were tremendous," he added per People. "A couple of them made some jokes I think when they figured out who I was and what happened and how I ended up there."

When was Scottie Scheffler arrested?

According to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, Scheffler's arrest took place around 5.45 am local time, about 45 minutes after a man was tragically killed by a shuttle bus while attempting to cross the street around 5 am. The authorities have since identified the victim as vendor John Mills.

Darlington, who was present during the arrest, said Scheffler attempted to drive around the crash by way of the median despite an officer instructing him to stop. However, the number one golfer in the world was placed in handcuffs when he stopped his vehicle. Major Jason Logsdon of the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections said that Scheffler was released at 8.40 am without bail.

“Subject refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground,” a police report stated, per CNN.

Scottie Scheffler's attorney termed the ordeal as 'miscommunication'

After Scheffler shared on his Instagram Stories shortly after the ordeal that he was "directed by police officers" to proceed, his attorney, Steven Romines, told ESPN that the incident was a ”miscommunication." He added that the officer who attempted to stop him wasn't part of the regular event-traffic detail.

"They are allowed to go through, that's why they have the credential and the wave-through," Romines said. "He 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."

The attorney also said, per NBC News, that his client "did not drag any officer."

Scottie Scheffler detailed his arrest

Scheffler further detailed the arrest during his latest press conference, telling reporters, per a transcription from NBC Sports, that his "sympathies" go out to the Mills family and that his arrest was "a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding."

"I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me," he said. "That was part of my warm up. I was just sitting there waiting, and I started going through my warm up, I felt like there was a chance I may be able to still come out here and play. I started going through my routine and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could today, but like I said, I still feel like my head is spinning a little bit."

Scheffler added that he was "pretty rattled to say the least" when in jail, and that the officer who took him there was "very kind" and police offered him a sandwich.

"My body was -- I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear," he said. "Coming out here and trying to play today was definitely a challenge, but I did my best to control my mind, control my breathing." He later stated that he was "doing my best to defuse the situation," and "officers at the jail were tremendous."

"I did numerous apologies and whatever, but like I said, it was chaotic, it’s dark, it was raining, there’s a lot of stuff going on," the athlete said. "They had just had an accident. I didn’t know what it happened at the time, other than there was an accident. I didn’t know that it was fatal."

"Like I said, my heart goes out to the family. But no, at no point did I try to name-drop myself to defuse the situation. I just tried to remain as calm as possible and just follow instructions," Scheffler added. 

Internet users' mixed response after Scottie Scheffler admitted to 'shaking' 

Netizens gave mixed responses after Scheffler admitted to "shaking" during his arrest. One user tweeted, "I don't feel sorry for him he got what he deserves." Another wrote, "He should jet out of that sheit hole and never return." 

"I still can’t understand why he didn’t just give them his white privilege card at the start of this," one asked and another added, "I think the cop who stopped Scheffler had no previous experience with this type of duty and stopped him despite Scotty having the proper ID for a player to gain entry. On the other hand, don't try to drive away, you idiot!" 

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