A Louisville police officer disciplined for not switching on his body camera during the arrest of pro golfer Scottie Scheffler has been charged with stealing $4,000 from a criminal suspect.
Officer Javar Downs, 39, is accused of taking the money from a suspect being booked into jail, according to an arrest citation. The suspect was arrested during a traffic stop Friday with about $10,000 in an envelop, and Downs is accused of taking $4,000 and submitting the rest into evidence.
A review of video showed Downs taking the money, the arrest report said.
Downs was arrested Friday morning. Louisville police said Downs was placed on emergency suspension and interim Police Chief Paul Humphrey is in the process of terminating Downs from the department, WAVE-3 TV reported.
Downs was one of three officers disciplined for not turning on their body camera during the May 17 arrest of Scheffler outside a Louisville golf course hosting the PGA Championship. The charges against Scheffler were later dropped.
In June, the Louisville police chief involved in Scheffler’s arrest was forced to resign from her post.
Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel handed in her notice after being suspended over the mishandling of a sexual harassment claim about an officer.
The claim came at a time during which the department was under much scrutiny over its handling of the case against the world’s No. 1 golfer.
Scheffler was attempting to enter Valhalla Golf Course for the second round of the PGA Championship when he was stopped by officers and, in a surreal scene, Scheffler was arrested.
Following a fatal crash outside Valhalla Golf Club involving John Mills, an employee of a tournament vendor, Scheffler allegedly attempted to circumvent traffic and was stopped by a police officer. The actions that followed led to the golfer being arrested and charged.
— with files from Dan Bilicki