A police officer who found himself in the middle of an arrest involving world number one golfer Scottie Scheffler has now found himself on the other side of the law.
Officer Javar Downs of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) was arrested and hit with theft and misconduct charges Friday.
Downs was charged with theft by unlawfully taking more than $1,000 and official misconduct. He has been placed on emergency suspension following the arrest, limiting his police powers.
He is accused of pocketing $4,000 from a suspect under his arrest on Wednesday.
“Allegations of officer malfeasance are taken very seriously. LMPD prioritizes accountability and remains committed to conducting thorough and expedient investigations in the best interests of all parties involved,” LMPD communications director Angela Ingram said.
Downs Was Involved In Scottie Scheffler Arrest
While Officer Bryan Gillis of ‘shredded pants‘ fame is the most notable of the officers to be involved in the arrest of Scottie Scheffler, Downs also played a role.
He was also investigated for not following proper protocol during that incident either.
Downs was one of three officers who failed to activate their body cameras during the arrest of Scheffler at the PGA Championship earlier in the year.
Their conduct led to significant public and legal scrutiny.
Officer Javar Downs acknowledged in an official report that he failed to activate his body camera during the event, which meant the footage of Scottie Scheffler’s removal from his vehicle and subsequent arrest was not recorded.
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He’s Being Terminated
Scottie Scheffler was initially arrested and charged with numerous violations including felony second-degree assault of a police officer stemming from a traffic incident.
Gillis alleged that Scheffler dragged him to the ground while he was trying to provide instruction for the golfer regarding a traffic tie-up following a fatal pedestrian accident.
The evidence, including video and witness commentary to the contrary, didn’t seem to support the assertion, and the charges were rightfully dropped.
Scheffler, who just won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and is a two-time Masters winner, opted not to file a lawsuit “because at the end of the day, the people of Louisville are then going to have to pay for the mistakes of their police department, and that just doesn’t seem right.”
The LMPD might not escape so easily this time if the suspect who was arrested had money stolen by Officer Downs.
Chief Paul Humphrey has reportedly begun the process of terminating Downs’ employment.
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