A Louisville police officer who was at the scene of the infamous arrest of Scottie Scheffler has himself been arrested on Friday.
Wave 3 News first reported that officer Javar Downs has been charged with official misconduct and theft by unlawful taking $1,000 or greater after he was accused of pocketing $4,000 that he took from a suspect who was being booked into jail.
Louisville police communications director Angela Ingram told the Louisville Courier-Journal that Downs has been placed on emergency suspension and that the department is working to terminate his employment.
“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,” Ingram told the outlet.
A civilian complaint triggered the investigation, Ingram said.
Scheffler was arrested before the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla in May as there was a miscommunication about traffic flow following a fatal accident involving a shuttle bus and a pedestrian at the tournament.
His charges were later dropped.
“I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope he will do the same. Police officers have a difficult job and I hold them in high regard. This was a severe miscommunication in a chaotic situation,” Scheffler wrote in a statement when the charges were dropped.
Shortly after the arrest, Scheffler got out of jail in time to make his tee time, and wound up playing an incredible round.
As one of the officers at the scene, Downs admitted he did not activate his body camera during the arrest in accordance with department protocol.
