Authorities have deemed Alan Ritchson’s alleged physical altercation with a neighbor as self-defense.
According to a report by Entertainment Weekly, published on Tuesday, March 24, the Reacher star was cleared of criminal charges as a result of a video that seemingly depicted him beating up another person in a residential neighborhood. The footage, released by TMZ on Sunday, March 22, was accompanied by a statement from Ritchson’s alleged neighbor Ronnie Taylor, who said that he was the victim.
“After reviewing available evidence, including video footage and witness statements, authorities determined that no criminal charges will be pursued. Mr. Ritchson’s actions were found to be in self-defense,” Brentwood Police Captain Steven Pepin told EW.
Us Weekly has reached out to Brentwood Police Department for comment.
Pepin added that a “reckless endangerment charge” was considered, however the actor “declined to pursue charges.”
The law enforcement official concluded, “With the agreement of the District Attorney’s Office, the case is now closed, and no further action will be taken.”
TMZ reported that a dispute erupted over excessive noise, according to Taylor. It detailed that the neighbor initially spoke with the actor about riding his motorbike — specifically going at excessive speeds and revving his engine — through their Nashville suburb. Taylor then allegedly flipped Ritchson off, who returned the gesture.
According to the outlet, Ritchson allegedly began speeding on his bike again later that day with two children, seemingly his own. (The actor and wife Catherine Ritchson share three sons: Calem, 13, Edan, 12, and Amory, 10.)
After Taylor asked the actor to stop, the situation became physical, with Taylor reporting the situation to authorities after he was allegedly punched and kicked in the face.
One day after the incident occurred, Ritchson took to Instagram to share a cryptic text post with fans that read, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” The script was a quote from French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and no caption was offered by Ritchson.
His fans, however, shared their own opinions on the released footage, with one fan commenting, “Imagine pushing JACK REACHER in front of his two boys,” and another writing, “They thought he was just an actor but he’s a real life Reacher.”
Ritchson’s onscreen character Jack Reacher, is the protagonist of a crime thriller novel series by Lee Child that was turned into a TV show by Amazon Prime. The character was also portrayed by Tom Cruise in the 2012 film Jack Reacher.
