Louisville police chief who charged Scottie Scheffler is forced to resign after shock controversy

The Louisville police chief responsible for the botched case against world No 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was forced to resign this week.

Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel vowed to 'to respect the legal process' and 'let it play out' after Scheffler was shockingly arrested at the PGA Championship in May.

The golfer was taken to jail and charged with a felony - second-degree assault of a police officer - after he was detained while trying to enter Valhalla.

But now Gwinn-Villaroel has become the third full-time Louisville police chief to resign or be fired since 2020. The department has had a revolving door at the top since officers fatally shot Breonna Taylor during a botched drug raid that year.

Officers came in for criticism over their handling of Scheffler's case before all charges were dropped against the world No 1. 

But Gwinn-Villaroel resigned after being suspended over the mishandling of a sexual harassment claim about an officer.

The department has been thrown into turmoil in recent weeks by sexual harassment allegations. Last week, two female officers filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually harassed by fellow officers in recent years.

Mayor Craig Greenberg said Tuesday the conduct alleged in the lawsuits was 'unacceptable and inexcusable.'

'Everyone should be treated with respect by their colleagues,' Greenberg said. 'And everyone has the responsibility to treat others with respect. That should be true in every workplace.'

Gwinn-Villaroel was suspended for mishandling a complaint brought by Major Shannon Lauder against a fellow police major. 

Lauder reported it to Gwinn-Villaroel during a May meeting of command staff, but later at that same meeting the major was promoted to lieutenant colonel by Gwinn-Villaroel. 

Greenberg named Paul Humphrey, who took over as acting chief after Gwinn-Villaroel was suspended on June 12, as interim chief, the fourth interim chief since 2020.

The mayor did not elaborate Tuesday on why Gwinn-Villaroel resigned or if he asked her to leave the department.

Greenberg said sexual harassment training procedures would be improved and a department policy that harassment complaints should go through an officer's chain of command would be amended. 

That would give officers other options for reporting those complaints. Officers found to be in violation of the sexual harassment policy could be terminated, he said.

Greenberg said there would be no active search for a new full-time chief at this time. Gwinn-Villaroel came to Louisville from the Atlanta Police Department in 2021 alongside former Louisville Chief Erika Shields, who hired her as a deputy chief. Gwinn-Villaroel was named the full-time chief in July 2023.