By Eva Rothenberg | CNN
New York – ESPN journalist Jeff Darlington witnessed the arrest of the world's top golfer Scottie Scheffler on Friday morning before the second round of the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, plunging the reporter into the center of one among the strangest sports stories in recent memory.
Darlington not only witnessed the incident, he also tried to intervene. He was just a couple of feet away from Scheffler when the golfer was arrested, and Darlington tried, but failed, to clarify to police that Scheffler was attending the tournament.
“We didn't want to be part of this story, in the end we were at least on the sidelines,” ESPN commentator Dave Fleming said on air after the incident.
ESPN told CNN that the network is just not commenting on this story.
How the story developed
Darlington broke the news of Scheffler's arrest in a series of posts on X and detailed the incident lower than an hour afterward ESPN's SportsCenter. He said the incident occurred around 6 a.m. after a “misunderstanding” by which Scheffler attempted to evade police presence on the scene of an unrelated automotive accident outside the golf club.
“The officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla,” Darlington wrote on X. “The officer then began yelling at Scheffler to get out of the car. As Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer pushed Scheffler against the car and immediately handcuffed him.”
“At that time (Scheffler) said – when he saw me behind him – 'Can you help?' “The police officers told me to take a step back,” Darlington told the audience on television shortly afterwards.
In one Video posted on X An hour later, Darlington follows the law enforcement officials who take Scheffler away. Several law enforcement officials called on him to resign.
“Right now he’s going to prison. He's going to jail and there's nothing you possibly can do about it,” an officer said to Darlington, referring to Scheffler. Darlington makes it clear that he’s a member of the media and the police reiterate that he must resign.
“The officers surrounding the patrol car that Scottie Scheffler was in had no idea he was even Scottie Scheffler,” Darlington clarified on air. “I say this because a police officer came up to me with his notepad and said: Can you tell me the name of the person who was just arrested?”
Darlington said the players were told they were allowed to enter the ability and that Scheffler said he continued to drive past the police vehicle because he “didn't know he was a police officer.”
Scheffler is charged with a felony
According to Jefferson County court records, Scheffler was charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, a felony, together with lesser charges of third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and failure to obey signals from officers directing traffic. He has been released from prison, in keeping with the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections.
Attorney Steve Romines, who represents Scheffler, told CNN affiliate WLKY that the golfer had evaded the police on account of a misunderstanding.
“They directed traffic, he held out his media badge and went inside as they were instructed to do,” Romines said. Scheffler's attorney declined to comment on why the golfer was charged with assault, saying he would fight the case in court.
The PGA Championship tournament was delayed an hour and a half and started around 8:30 a.m. Friday morning.
“This morning we were devastated to learn that a worker from one of our suppliers was tragically struck and killed by a shuttle bus in front of Valhalla Golf Club,” PGA said in an announcement. “This is heartbreaking for all of us involved in the PGA Championship. We extend our sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones.”
The CNN Wire
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