It's been over three months since Louisville Metro Police arrested two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler after he attempted to drive into the entrance of Valhalla Golf Club in the early morning hours ahead of the second round of the PGA Championship.
Kentucky prosecutors announced on May 29 that criminal charges against the 28-year-old were being dropped, and Scheffler has returned to competition this summer and seemingly put what he called a "fairly traumatic" event behind him.
One of the central figures in the arrest — police officer Javar Downs — is now back in the headlines for a separate incident.
MORE: Downs is charged with one count of Theft by Unlawful Taking $1k or greater, and one count of official misconduct. After allegedly pocketing money he seized from a suspect he booked into LMDC, Downs himself was booked this morning. Here's his mugshot. @wave3news pic.twitter.com/4HlBm2S5Ji
— Ward Jolles (@wardjolles) August 23, 2024
LMPD RESPONSE: Here's LMPD's response to Downs' arrest that we just received: pic.twitter.com/QX2OWmf2Dx
— Ward Jolles (@wardjolles) August 23, 2024
Before Scheffler's arrest, day two of the PGA Championship was delayed after a shuttle bus struck and killed a pedestrian outside the course.
ESPN's Jeff Darlington reported that day that the top-ranked player in the world was "detained by police in handcuffs after a misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer." Darlington further wrote that the officer "attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla." The officer "began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car. When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs."
It's unclear whether Downs was the one who put Scheffler in handcuffs and engaged with him, as all three police officers failed to turn on their body cameras.
BEFORE AND AFTER: Here's video of LMPD Officer Javar Downs helping put golfer Scottie Scheffler in cuffs during his arrest. Now, Downs is under arrest for pocketing $4k of money he allegedly seized from an inmate while booking him into jail. @wave3news https://t.co/euKRFBP2B0 pic.twitter.com/i1jbblFAqr
— Ward Jolles (@wardjolles) August 23, 2024
Scheffler had been facing four criminal charges before they were dropped: second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer.
While Downs' latest situation has nothing to do with the Scheffler incident, it's an interesting reminder of the springtime event.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!