The Louisville police chief who oversaw the inappropriate handling of Scottie Scheffler’s arrest resigned Tuesday, Mayor Craig Greenberg announced. According to the Associated Press.
Jacqueline Gwynn Villarroel resigned following the mishandling of sexual harassment allegations against officers, making her the third Louisville police chief to be fired or resign since 2020, according to reports.
Louisville police came under fire in May after charges were dropped against Scheffler, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, following his highly publicized arrest.
Scheffler was arrested May 17 after a miscommunication regarding entry to Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville during the PGA Championship.
The 28-year-old man was arrested and charged with second-degree assault on a police officer, third-degree criminal damage to property, reckless driving and ignoring a police officer’s signals during a traffic control.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell later filed a motion to dismiss all charges, saying Scheffler’s claims of a “gross misunderstanding” were “supported by the evidence.”
According to reports, the parties have agreed not to pursue legal action against each other.
“I want to put this incident behind me and move on and hope (arresting Detective Brian Gillis) will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job, but I have high respect for them,” Scheffler said in a statement. “This was a serious miscommunication in a chaotic situation.”
Gwynn Villarroel was suspended June 12 following a sexual harassment allegation unrelated to Scheffler’s arrest.
The Associated Press reported that two female officers have filed a lawsuit alleging that they were sexually harassed by a fellow officer, and Greenberg said the behavior was “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
He did not say whether Gwynn Villarroel, who was reportedly named full-time police chief in July last year, resigned of his own accord or was forced out.
“All coworkers deserve to be treated with respect, and everyone has a responsibility to treat others with respect. That should be true in any workplace,” Greenberg said, according to the Associated Press.
