When you’re a police officer in America, everybody knowing your name is usually a bad thing. And, for detective Bryan Gillis of the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, that is certainly true.
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The officer has recently been in the news for arresting golfer Scottie Scheffler just hours before he was due to tee off in the second major of the year, the PGA Championship, then lying about the events that led up to him putting the world number one in cuffs.
But what do we really know about Bryan Gillis, and the events that have catapulted him into the public eye? And what will happen to him after his very public embarrassment? Read on to find out just who is detective Bryan Gillis.
What do we know about Bryan Gillis?
Since Gillis found himself in the public eye, many outlets have dug into his past, including USA Today.
We know for a fact that Gillis went to high school at Kickapoo High School, KY, where he earned his diploma. He later attended Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Missouri between 1996-7, and did not graduate with a certificate or degree.
As Kentucky has open record laws, numerous journalists have managed to dive deep into his police personnel file, and have found that he has been far from a model cop. In many ways, he’s a caricature of a police officer who uses his power to break laws with impunity, rather than actually trying to do his job.
Gillis has previously been suspended for five days, for performing “donuts” while riding with an “intoxicated civilian” in his police vehicle, in a business parking lot. We are unsure if he thought Seth Rogen’s character in Superbad was someone to aspire to, rather than a very obvious joke about how bitter people sometimes become cops so they can misuse their power to feel cool.
The incident happened in December 2012, but Gillis was only suspended by then-LMPD chief Steve Conrad in September 2013. In his letter of suspension, the chief wrote:
“You violated Standard Operating Procedure 5.1.3 Conduct Unbecoming when you drove an intoxicated civilian in your police vehicle while on duty in a “Code 3” fashion in a non-emergency situation and proceeded to doing “donuts” in a business parking lot. Any further violations of this nature will warrant severe discipline.”
A “Code 3” is defined as an emergency response which may be used if there are certain factors met, such as authorized pursuits, severe traffic accidents, hazardous conditions, and when officers are in danger.
Gillis has also been suspended for missing court dates and, ironically, the native Kentuckian has been involved in four “at fault” accidents while operating a police vehicle. Of course, Gillis has had to take mandatory driving training twice as a result of his accidents (the most recent of which was in May 2021, for which he was given an oral reprimand), so by now he might finally have a grasp on the rules of the road.
2021 wasn’t a great year in general for Gillis’ professional life. He also received a letter that reprimanded him when he “pursued a vehicle that did not commit a violent felony or (was) wanted on a warrant,” and failed to get the proper permissions for the chase via the official channels.
Why did Bryan Gillis become famous?
Bryan Gillis has been in the news recently because he arrested world number one Scottie Scheffler as the latter was driving into Valhalla Golf Club. Scheffler was set to play the second round in the PGA Championship that day, for which he was one of the favorites.
Gillis was directing traffic as there had been a fatal accident in the vicinity earlier that day. In an initial incident report, the officer claimed that Scheffler ignored his instructions, then dragged him along with his vehicle while trying to drive away, leading to Gillis having to go to hospital. Scheffler was cuffed and his mugshot taken, before he was bailed out in time to make his round. The golfer ended up finishing in a tie for eighth.
The prosecutor in the case threatened to charge Scheffler with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding traffic signals from an officer. Gillis was not wearing his bodycam at the time of the incident. He and his department only changed their story when footage was released showing Gillis running after the car and attacking it with his hand, which led to medical attention being needed.
What will happen to Bryan Gillis?
We don’t know exactly. His superior officer said that Gillis had faced “corrective action,” which doesn’t say much.
Given how unaccountable the police are in this country, there’ s a high likelihood Gillis won’t face any substantial consequences for his continued poor performance, and will soon be out on the streets once more, being an embarrassment and a liability.
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