Louisville Detective Behind Scottie Scheffler Arrest Speaks Out, Cites Destroyed '$80 Pants'

The Louisville Metro Police Detective at the center of the sports arrest of the year (or certainly up there) gave his side of the story on Wednesday.

Golf's top-ranked player, Scottie Scheffler, was arrested ahead of the second round of the PGA Championships earlier this month after ignoring traffic signals heading into the course and allegedly dragging a police officer who instructed Scheffler to drive around a fatal accident scene in the wee hours of the morning.

READ: Scottie Scheffler Released After Arrest, Set To Play Second Round At PGA Championship

The officer, Detective Bryan Gillis, delivered a statement on Wednesday after Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell dropped all charges against Scheffler, as reported by OutKick's Dan Zaksheske. 

FORT WORTH, Tex. - Scottie Scheffler looks at his putt on hole number 8 during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Aric Becker/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

LOUISVILLE - Scottie Scheffler was arrested for refusing to stop at a traffic barricade trying to get into Valhalla Golf Course on May 17, 2024. (Photo by  Louisville Department of Corrections/Getty Images)

Gillis, an unlikely household name in the aftermath of the wild arrest news, chose to put the whole drama to rest now that Scheffler is in the clear.

In his statement, Gillis took umbrage with Scheffler's attorney, Steve Romines, after the lawyer bashed the detective for a ‘fake arrest’ and trying to work Scheffler into a testimony during his arrest. 

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

Gillis' statement flip-flopped between a tongue-in-cheek and deadpan tone. He stuck to his testimony regarding Scheffler disobeying his orders, which led to Scottie driving away, taking Gillis with him on the joyride and ruining the detective's "$80 pants," though, in the end, both sides are likely relieved that this mess is over.

 "A tragic incident occurred, and the family of Mr. Mills remains in my family's thoughts and prayers," Gillis began his statement. 

"This was a chaotic situation for everyone involved. Ensuring the safety of everyone in the vicinity was my utmost priority. Mr. Scheffler and I both agree that there will be no ill will over this going forward. Instead of giving a negative public reaction, he chose to speak with dignity, humility, and respect."

"My family and I appreciate that. It was unfortunate and disturbing to hear Steve Romines' commentary today claiming that a ‘false arrest’ was made and for him to challenge my honesty and integrity. 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."

As previously reported by OutKick's Mark Harris, Gillis' past painted the detective as more of a loose cannon than expected.

In 2013, the Louisville officer was arrested for drunkenly doing ‘donuts’ in his police vehicle with an intoxicated passenger aboard. 

Gillis continued, "This is the extent of my commentary on the incident. The reality is that there are more important things in the world right now than a back-and-forth over this. 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.

Detective Gillis had one more pressing matter on his mind: his expensive pants, which were ruined.

"PS...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."

FORT WORTH, Tex. - Scottie Scheffler of the United States reacts to a putt on the 17th green during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 26, 2024. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

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