Scheffler’s arrest isn’t surprising. Look at Louisville Metro Police Department’s history.
“If they would just listen and comply.” A lot of times people say that about the person arrested (or shot) when police use their excessive and militarized tactics on us. Seemingly justifying whatever was done to us because of the auspices of respect and deference to authority.
But when a rich white golfer, through the accounts of the police, allegedly ignores instructions and pulls an officer with their car and is summarily shown a modicum of accountability—suddenly there is a new class of abolitionists.
Now, I am not the one to defend or perpetuate the gaslighting of law enforcement. I know first-hand the perils of encountering those apparently less keen on de-escalation and intent on making a mountain out of a molehill. We know this is an issue, the DOJ has determined it is an issue, this ain’t new.
Do I necessarily buy the initial accounts that are coming out? Nah, I don’t. Nor do I dispute the premise that a rich golfer thought some rules didn’t apply to him, at least in some way. And he could have been confused, accustomed to police entry into a course. I’d assume that is normal for players of his caliber.
I don't believe initial accounts of what happened
My problem is the response. On Twitter (never saying X, sorry, Elon) people were quick to say the police are lying and bemoan the actions of LMPD. I am old enough to remember the blind support afforded LMPD in the initial moments after they killed Breonna Taylor, who didn’t do anything at all. It seems the police are afforded unwavering backing in almost any incident that involves some of us, even when video tells us they were in the wrong. Time and time again video will disprove the story we are told, but we are assured there is ‘more to it’ or context we are missing. Why is that not the same here?
Many of those arguing that there are eyewitnesses are learning a reality I and others were taught a long time ago: Witnesses don’t matter. Videos don’t matter. Truth is what they say it is until proven and agreed otherwise. Or does that change when the eyewitnesses are the types of people who can afford to go watch the PGA championship? I’m not sure of the rules on this one since it is a new entry into the law enforcement vs the people database.
Scottie Scheffler's arrest: Louisville police was out of line toward PGA golfer
LMPD made a bad situation worse
Look, officers have hard jobs, and they were working the scene of a fatal accident in the dark. Emotions were high and that is not an excuse for making a bad situation worse. No one should defend adding unwarranted aggression to what is basically a traffic stop, but many of us, witnesses or not, are not given the benefit of the doubt when faced with much more egregious matters than what happened today.
What occurred near Valhalla is embarrassing, but not surprising. The response though, has been very hard to reconcile because of the difference afforded when the person on the other side of an apparent wrong is a person of privilege.
Maybe today will have a silver lining. A comedian I like, Megan Gailey, posted that the best way to get rich white people against the cops is to arrest the number one golfer.
If this situation can somehow help further what we have been preaching for years, that sometimes the police are overly aggressive and not to blindly take their word for it, then maybe we can chalk this arrest up as a small victory in the grand scheme of things. If this is the final straw that leads to meaningful police reform, I want to thank Scottie for taking the immortal words of Louisville’s own Jennifer Lawrence and volunteering as tribute.
Terrance Sullivan is the Vice Chair for JCPS Advisory Council for Racial Equity (ACRE). He is the former Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR). KCHR is the state agency charged with enforcing the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. Terrance is also a member of The Courier Journal's Advisory Board.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: In arrest of golfer Scottie Scheffler, LMPD made a bad situation worse
