Slow Day, So Cops And PGA

[Snaggletiger]

Ain't a lot going on in the sports world, at least not much that we all care about.  But one item of note:  The World's #1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, was cuffed and stuffed this morning while on his way to the course for the second round of the PGA Championship.

The PGA is one of the four Majors, so there's a ton more eyes on the happenings.  What we know to this point is, there was a traffic fatality somewhere near the course entrance.  Have no idea how far away, but it apparently was a pedestrian struck by a tour bus.  Anyway, cops were all around directing traffic etc.  Scheffler drives up in an SUV, clearly marked to signify he was a PGA golfer.  Reports are that a policeman shouted at him to stop, and when he didn't, a cop "attached himself to the vehicle".  Eye witness report said Scheffler drove another 10 yards before stopping. The cop pulls him from the car and immediately cuffs him, puts him in the back of a cruiser. He goes to jail, changes into a pumpkin suit and gets his mug shot taken.  Charged with, among other things, assault on a police officer.

From what I've heard, other golfers had already been waved through ahead of Scheffler, and that the traffic fatality had occurred some time earlier.  Why he was stopped, I have no idea. 

I'm a back the blue kind of guy.  And I'm not advocating for any special treatment of anyone, much less Scottie Scheffler.  But this sounds over the top to me.  Attaching yourself to the car?  Really?  Use a little common sense here.  Just get the tag number and write the man a ticket if he did wrong. 

[CCTAU]

Some of these traffic cops watched the whole Rambo series too many times.

[The Six]

If any of us tried that, we'd be eating meals through a straw for months. Fame/money gets you a pass in a lot of ways. Ask O.J. Simpson.

[WiregrassTiger]

Can you imagine what that rental car would look like if Token would have jumped on it?

[GH2001]

Way over the top. And I'm with snags - I typically back the blue a lot. But I think to solve a lot of these issues, the good folks have to call out the bad. A spade is a spade.

Scheffler was doing exactly what he was supposed to have been doing. He was waved through by first cop, and others were waved through by 2nd cop. He was following protocol he thought. Why the second cop had issue with HIM only and why he thought it would be cool to solve said issue by jumping on the dude's car is beyond me. Scheffler stops almost immediately when it happens - probably 1-2 seconds (20-25 ft) and he is yanked out of the car and cuffed, and HE is arrested for ASSAULT. The cop also wasn't clearly identified nor was he working tourney detail. He was there because of the preceding accident that caused some of the traffic confusion. It's also raining heavily there. It's bewildering the amount of escalation that occurred given the very confiusing conditions.

Nonetheless, he is out there playing today and is not charged with assault now. Wondering if that cop's brass saw the cops body cam and/or knows how it unfolded exactly and decided that they'd cut their losses there and let him go before they look any dumber than they already do.

We need to be diverting funds from wastes of money in cities and states, to proper law enforcement funding else these Barney Fife napoleonic type cops will be a good chunk of what's out there applying for the job. Higher pay and better training = higher quality of cop. 

[jmar]

Some of these traffic cops watched the whole Rambo series too many times.

It's a tough job. The arresting officer probably felt threatened by Mr. Sheffler's careless demeanor and abusive language. He must answer for his crimes against humanity.