Officer in Scottie Scheffler case thanks golfer, takes aim at attorney; jokes about ripped pants

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) -The officer at the center of the case against pro golfer, Scottie Scheffler issued his statement after the charges against the athlete were dismissed.

In the letter, Detective Bryan Gillis thanked Scheffler for his demeanor throughout the ordeal.

“Mr. Scheffler and I both agree that there will be no ill will over this going forward,” Gillis wrote. “Instead of giving a negative public reaction, he chose to speak with dignity, humility and respect. My family and I appreciate that.”

However, Gillis took issue with claims made by Scheffler’s high-profile attorney, Steve Romines. During a press conference after the court hearing on Wednesday, Romines said Gillis was never dragged, and that it was a “false arrest.”

“It was unfortunate and disturbing to hear Steve Romines’ commentary today-claiming a “false arrest” was made and for him to challenge my honesty and integrity,” Gillis wrote.  “I’d be surprised and disappointed if Mr. Scheffler actually had any part in making those statements. To be clear, I was drug by the car, I went to the ground, and I received visible injuries to my knees and wrist. I’m going to recover from it, and it will be ok.”

During the press conference, Romines also stated the only reason why Scheffler was not suing LMPD is that the taxpayers would end up with the bill.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Romines said. “And I’ve said repeatedly, the more evidence comes out, the more it shows that Scottie was a victim in all this.”

During the press conference, Romines issued a fiery response when asked about statements made by Scheffler moments after the arrest. The comments were made after he was read his Miranda Rights. Scheffler apologized in the video and told the officer he didn’t know Gillis was a police officer when he tried to stop him. Scheffler tells the officer he was afraid and late for his tee time, so he decided to move forward. Scheffler also admits he should have stopped.

“Steve, I have to ask you though,” WAVE News Troubleshooters asked, “the statements that Scottie made after the arrest don’t seem to fully align with what you are saying right now. He admits that he got impatient and went too far.”

“No, here’s what happened, he is being interrogated after the most stressful situation of his life and an officer is asking him leading questions trying to get him to agree with him. And that’s why you don’t talk to police,” Romines replied.

Scheffler’s own words after the hearing were of a different tone than his own attorney.

“As I stated previously, this was an unfortunate misunderstanding,” Scheffler wrote. “I hold no ill will toward Officer Gillis. I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope he will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard. This was a severe miscommunication in a chaotic situation.”

Scheffler went on to talk about the life that was lost that morning during the fatal crash. Gillis echoed those sentiments.

“The reality is there are more important things in the world right now than a back-and-forth over this,” Gillis said. “A person lost his life that day, and a family lost a loved one. At the end of the day I take pride in working for the people in the community to preserve their safety. I’ve spent two decades trying to protect this city through some challenging times. And I would like to keep doing so without the distractions caused by this series of events. I wish Scottie Scheffler and his family all the best,” Gillis wrote.

“PS…,” Gillis continued. “Yes, the department has us buying freaking $80 pants. To those concerned, they were indeed ruined. But Scottie, it’s all good. I never would’ve guessed I’d have the most famous pair of pants in the country for a few weeks because of this. Take care and be safe.- Bryan.”

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