Top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler's charges dropped after arrest outside PGA Championship

NEW DELHI: All legal charges against the world's top-ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler, were officially dismissed. This decision came after an incident that took place on May 17, outside the US PGA Championship, where Scheffler, aged 27, was arrested following a confrontation with police during a traffic stop.
Initially, Scheffler faced multiple charges, including felony assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving, and failing to obey signals from an officer directing traffic.
The report stated that Scheffler disobeyed orders to stop his car and accelerated, dragging to the ground police officer Bryan Gillis, who was hospitalized with bruising and swelling.
However, on Wednesday, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell filed a motion to dismiss all charges against Scheffler, and the judge agreed. O'Connell stated that the evidence against Scheffler did not meet the standard of probable cause, saying, "Based on the totality of the evidence, my office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler."
Scheffler's lawyer, Steve Romines, denied any wrongdoing and claimed that his client was driving a marked player's vehicle when he received conflicting signals from police officers at the traffic control. Romines had previously stressed that Scheffler would fight the charges and was "not interested in any sort of settlement negotiations or anything."
On the morning of his arrest, Scheffler released a statement saying, "There was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do." O'Connell told the court in Louisville that Scheffler's claim of misunderstanding "is corroborated by the evidence."
It is noteworthy that the arresting officer was reprimanded for failing to activate his body-worn camera during the incident, as confirmed by the local police chief.
Despite the legal turmoil, fans cheered and gave Scheffler a standing ovation as he walked onto the course before striking his first shot. The current Masters champion, who finished the US PGA tournament in a four-way tie for eighth place, admitted that the day after his arrest, "I was shaking. I would say in shock and in fear."
(Inputs from AFP)