(TheRedAlertNews.com) – An explosion of scandals, including the fallout of a sexual harassment case and the botched arrest of the world’s top golfer, Scottie Scheffler, has caused the chief of the Louisville Metro Police, Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, to tender her resignation.
Gwinn-Villaroel’s resignation comes amid controversies surrounding the department’s management, as announced by Mayor Craig Greenberg, the Associated Press reports.
Her resignation follows a failed handling of a sexual harassment allegation concerning a subordinate officer. She is the third Louisville police chief to either resign or be dismissed since 2020, The New York Post notes in a report.
The department faced significant scrutiny in May after legal charges against Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer globally, were withdrawn subsequent to his arrest, which had attracted considerable public attention.
An error concerning his entry at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville during the PGA Championship on May 17 culminated in Scheffler’s detention.
Scheffler, 28, faced multiple charges including second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and ignoring an officer’s traffic directions.
Jefferson County attorney Mike O’Connell subsequently submitted a motion to dismiss all charges, citing that Scheffler’s explanation of the incident as a “big misunderstanding” was “corroborated by the evidence.”
Following discussions, it was decided that neither party would initiate legal proceedings against the other.
Scheffler expressed a desire to move past the incident in a formal statement.
“I wish to put this incident behind me and move on, and I hope (arresting officer Det. Bryan Gillis) 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,” he stated.
Prior to her resignation, Gwinn-Villaroel had been suspended on June 12 due to accusations of sexual harassment that were unrelated to the Scheffler case.
According to the AP, two female officers alleged that they had been sexually harassed by their colleagues.
In response to these allegations, Greenberg denounced the behavior as “unacceptable and inexcusable,” though he did not clarify whether Gwinn-Villaroel’s departure was voluntary or coerced.
Having been appointed as the full-time chief of the police department the previous July, Gwinn-Villaroel’s tenure was brief.
Mayor Greenberg emphasized the importance of mutual respect in the workplace.
“Everyone should be treated with respect by their colleagues… everyone has the responsibility to treat others with respect. That should be true in every workplace,” he said.
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