Scottie Scheffler's arrest, John Mills' death at PGA Championship: What we know

A chaotic Friday morning overshadowed the second round of the PGA Championship at Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club.

First, a man named John Mills, who was working security at the major tournament, was struck and killed by a bus while walking around outside the course on Shelbyville Road.

Then, Scottie Scheffler was arrested after an incident the world's top-ranked golfer described as "a big misunderstanding."

Here's what to know:

John Mills' death: 'Heartbreaking' start to PGA Championship's second round

A Louisville Metro Police spokesperson said officers responded about 5 a.m. to Valhalla to reports of a collision between a bus and a pedestrian in front of Gate 2.

A preliminary investigation revealed Mills was struck by a shuttle bus traveling eastbound in the center lane, which was dedicated to buses. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office said Mills died of blunt-force injuries.

"LMPD expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the individual who died as a result of that collision," the department said in a statement Friday afternoon.

"This is heartbreaking to all of us involved with the PGA Championship," added the PGA of America. "We extend our sincere condolences to their family and loved ones."

Mills was a 69-year-old Crestwood resident, the coroner's office said. According to a post from Terry Meiners of WHAS 840 AM on X, formerly Twitter, he was part of the tournament's security detail through a third-party vendor.

"He liked to stay busy in retirement," Mills' family said in a statement Meiners shared. "We love him and will miss him."

In a statement, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said he had spoken to Mills' family and expressed the city's condolences.

Scottie Scheffler arrested: What police say happened at PGA Championship

The fatal collision caused a traffic jam that delayed the start of the PGA Championship's second round, which was set to begin at 7:15 a.m.

With an 8:48 a.m. tee time, Scheffler was among those stuck in it.

According to Scheffler's arrest citation:

• Scheffler was driving a "PGA Player Vehicle" eastbound to enter Valhalla Gate 1 but pulled into a westbound lane, "where outbound traffic was flowing," in an attempt to avoid the backup.

• LMPD Detective Bryan Gillis was "in the middle of the westbound lanes, in full LMPD uniform and a hi-visibility yellow reflective rain jacket," when he stopped the golfer and "attempted to give instructions."

• Scheffler "refused to comply and accelerated forward, dragging Detective Gillis to the ground."

• Gillis was transported to a hospital by emergency workers suffering "pain, swelling, and abrasions to his left wrist and knee." His uniform pants, which LMPD values at about $80, were "damaged beyond repair."

"We are in the process of conducting a thorough investigation," LMPD said in a statement Friday afternoon. "We are appreciative that all parties involved are fully cooperating."

Scheffler was arrested at 6:20 a.m. Jail records show he was booked into Metro Corrections at 7:28 a.m. on charges of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.

Second-degree assault is a Class C felony in Kentucky punishable by between five and 10 years in prison.

According to state law, assault in the second degree occurs when a person either:

• Intentionally causes serious physical injury to another person

• Intentionally causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument

• Wantonly causes serious physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.

Scheffler was released from custody on personal recognizance and returned to Valhalla not long after 9 a.m. Because of the collision, all tee times were pushed back.

Scheffler's was rescheduled for 10:08 a.m. Fans greeted him with cheers when he walked out to the course to begin Round 2.

Scheffler is set to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Tuesday, according to court records.

The Jefferson County attorney’s office said in a statement Friday afternoon it was "still obtaining information in the case of Mr. Scheffler and will review and proceed accordingly."

Is there body camera footage of Scottie Scheffler's arrest at PGA Championship?

Gillis either wasn't wearing a body camera or didn't have it turned on during the incident that led to Scheffler's arrest, Greenberg confirmed Saturday morning in response to a question from The Courier Journal.

The mayor did say there was a "fixed camera" across the street and that the city plans to release the footage from it "in the coming days."

"To my knowledge," he said, "we have not yet discovered any video of the initial contact between Officer Gillis and Mr. Scheffler."

Scottie Scheffler's attorney offers his perspective on arrest at PGA Championship

Louisville attorney Steve Romines is representing Scheffler in the case.

He presented their side of the story in a statement to The Courier Journal:

"In the early hours of the morning, in preparation of his tee time, Scottie was going to the course to begin his preround preparation. Due to the combination of event traffic and a traffic fatality in the area, it was a very chaotic situation.

"He was proceeding as directed by another traffic officer and driving a marked player's vehicle with credentials visible. In the confusion, Scottie is alleged to have disregarded a different officer's traffic signals; resulting in these charges.

"Multiple eyewitnesses have confirmed that he did not do anything wrong but was simply proceeding as directed. He stopped immediately upon being directed to and never at any point assaulted any officer with his vehicle.

"We will plead not guilty and litigate this matter as needed."

Romines is the attorney who represented Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, and the family of David McAtee, the barbecue chef who was killed when LMPD and the Kentucky National Guard tried to enforce a curfew in Louisville's West End amid protests over Taylor’s death.

Scottie Scheffler arrest video: See police detain world No. 1 golfer

Jeff Darlington, an NFL reporter for ESPN who is covering the PGA Championship, was on the scene when LMPD arrested Scheffler.

Here's the video he posted to X:

"The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla," Darlington wrote in an earlier post. "The police officer then 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."

Scottie Scheffler speaks out: Golfer's statement, comments on arrest at PGA Championship

Before teeing off Friday, Scheffler posted the following statement to his Instagram story:

"This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do," he wrote. "I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I'm hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.

"Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective."

After he finished his round Friday, Scheffler spoke with reporters about his arrest.

He began by expressing condolences to Mills' family and said he couldn't "comment on any of the specifics" of his arrest. But he was confident the situation "will get handled."

"I feel like my head is still spinning," he added. "I can't really explain what happened this morning.

"I did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. That was a first for me. That was part of my warmup. I was just sitting there waiting; and I started going through my warmup. I felt like there was a chance I may be able to still come out here and play. I started going through my routine; and I tried to get my heart rate down as much as I could today.

"But, like I said, I still feel like my head is spinning a little bit. I was fortunate to be able to make it back out and play some golf today."

Watch Scheffler's post-round news conference below:

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on John Mills' death, Scottie Scheffler's arrest

Greenberg posted the following statement to X:

"This morning, our city experienced a tragic accident that took the life of John Mills, a Louisvillian who will be greatly missed by his family and our community. Our focus is on this family who lost their loved one. I have spoken with members of Mr. Mills' family to convey our city’s condolences.

"Following this tragedy, LMPD stopped traffic to assist with its investigation into the fatal accident. It is unfortunate that an incident took place between an LMPD officer and Mr. Scheffler while he was attempting to enter Valhalla. LMPD is fully investigating this incident and the legal process will proceed. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation.

"We remain focused on the tragic loss of life and will share more information on both of these matters as available."

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear had this to say in a statement posted to X:

"This morning an incident occurred outside the PGA Championship that resulted in the heartbreaking death of a fellow Kentuckian. Our hearts are broken, and we continue to pray for the victim's family."

"The events that occurred afterward are the unfortunate result of this tragic incident, and we are hopeful that all parties involved can come to a resolution."

How did Scottie Scheffler play at the PGA Championship after his arrest?

Scheffler posted a 5-under round Friday, which moved him to 9 under for the tournament.

Here's a look at his scorecard:

Back nine

Front nine

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Scottie Scheffler's arrest, John Mills' death at PGA Championship