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[Breaking news update, published at 1:00 p.m. ET]
Kentucky prosecutors plan to drop charges against Scottie Scheffler, Jefferson County Prosecutor Mike O’Connell said in court Wednesday, 12 days after the world No. 1 golfer was arrested while trying to drive around the scene of the fatal crash while on his way to the PGA. . Championship in Louisville.
Scheffler, 27, was charged with felony second-degree assault on a police officer and lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and ignoring the signals of officers directing traffic, according to Jefferson County court records.
[Original story, last published at 12:50 a.m. ET]
Kentucky’s top district attorney and attorney for the world’s #1 golfer Scotty Scheffler He will speak at a court hearing on Wednesday, 12 days after he was arrested while trying to drive around the scene of a fatal crash on his way to the PGA Championship in Louisville — and with video emerging showing the aftermath of the arrest.
Jefferson County District Attorney Mike O’Connell will address the court at 1 p.m. ET while attorney Steve Romaine will appear on behalf of Scheffler, who lives in Texas and has permission to miss the hearing that recently appeared on the court’s docket.
O’Connell’s spokesman, Josh Abner, declined to comment on the subject of Wednesday’s hearing. Last week, Schaeffler’s arraignment was postponed to June 3.
Romines confirmed Tuesday to CNN that Scheffler’s position is that the charges should be dropped or he will stand trial without a plea deal. The Louisville-based attorney did not say whether a decision had been reached or whether the charges would be dropped Wednesday. He scheduled a press conference for just 30 minutes after the start of the court session.
Scheffler, 27, faces several charges, including felony second-degree assault on a police officer On suspicion of dragging an officer with his car As he arrived at Valhalla Golf Club early on the morning of May 17, he also faces lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and ignoring signals of officers directing traffic, according to Jefferson County court records. The trial date was postponed after a request from his lawyer.
Scheffler called the incident a “huge misunderstanding,” and Romines said his client will plead not guilty. CNN spoke to sources in the police department who said that some officials I think fees should be reduced.
The prosecutor’s office said Thursday it was still reviewing evidence and interviewing investigators about the charges.
The golfer’s arrest marked a sea change for the PGA Championship, given that Scheffler – a new father described by one golf writer as an upright and “very clean” player – was the favorite in the wake of his title win. Second Masters title last month. He eventually finished eight shots behind the winner, Xander Scheufele, for eighth place.
“I did my best to leave that behind me and come here and compete and do what I love, and the support I got from the fans was amazing,” Scheffler told reporters on May 19 after the tournament. “I think they’ve been cheering me on loud this week, and I’ve had a lot of support from the players and the holders as well.”
Wednesday’s hearing comes as body camera footage emerged showing an initial conversation Scheffler had with a law enforcement officer after his arrest.
A spokesman for Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the grainy footage — apparently filmed at the scene of the arrest — is legitimate. An officer apparently read Scheffler his Miranda rights before questioning the golfer about the incident.
“LMPD moved quickly to release footage of Mr. Scheffler’s arrest on May 23, just days after the incident occurred,” Scotty Ellis, the mayor’s director of communications, said Wednesday in a statement.
“At the press conference in which that footage was released, Mayor Greenberg stated that, at the request of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, no further video would be released until the legal proceedings are concluded,” Ellis said. “It is unfortunate and extremely disturbing that an individual leaked information that should have remained confidential until the investigation was completed.”
The arrest occurred at about 6 a.m. on May 17, when Scheffler was trying to drive to Valhalla Golf Club for the second round of a major golf tournament and ran into heavy traffic near the scene of the fatal crash.
Earlier in the morning, a pedestrian — John Mills, 69, whose family said he enjoyed working in security at Valhalla — was struck by a bus as he tried to cross the main road leading to the stadium, Louisville police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said. As a result, the police intensified their presence around the entrance to the course.
Schaeffler – Driving a vehicle courtesy of the player with a distinctive mark, According to ESPN – He was trying to get to the course when he was stopped by an officer wearing a full police uniform and a reflective yellow rain jacket, a Louisville police report said. The investigating officer, Brian Gillis, stopped Scheffler and attempted to give instructions.
“The subject refused to comply and sped forward, pulling Detective Gillis to the ground,” the report states.
The report stated that the investigator suffered pain, swelling, and wounds to his left wrist and knee and was transferred to the hospital to receive further treatment. His dress pants, worth about $80, were “damaged beyond repair,” the report adds.
In a press conference last week where A video of the incident was postedLouisville Police Chief Jacqueline Gwyn-Villarroel said the detective failed to turn on his body-worn camera and “corrective action was taken for the policy violation.”
Scheffler was detained and arrested, but was later released from jail and returned to the golf course for tee time four hours later. In a statement shared May 17 on his Instagram account, Scheffler said he believed he was following officers’ instructions.
“This morning, I was acting as directed by police officers. “It was a very chaotic situation, which is understandable given the tragic incident that occurred earlier, and there was a huge misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do.” “I never meant to ignore any of the instructions.”
Likewise, Scheffler’s attorney, Romines, said his client “did nothing wrong,” citing multiple eyewitness accounts.
“He stopped immediately upon being directed to him and at no time assaulted any officer with his vehicle,” Romines said in a previous statement. “We will plead not guilty and prosecute this matter as needed.”
Despite spending part of his morning in a prison cell and getting a shot of himself wearing an orange jumpsuit, Scheffler played well on May 17 and shot 5 under par, which left him near the top of the leaderboard. But he struggled the next day, giving himself a lot of ground to make up to win a second successive title.
As for his apparent legal troubles, the golfer wasn’t sure what would happen next, telling reporters on May 19: “I think it’s all up in the air.”
“I think I can go home tonight but we’ll see when I leave here,” he said. “I haven’t had much opportunity to evaluate the situation off the track.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Steve Almasy, Gloria Pazmino, Jill Martin, Jack Bantock, Eric Levinson, Ray Sanchez and Andy Rose contributed to this report.