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If you’re going to get punched in the face, it probably shouldn’t be by a bloke who plays Jack Reacher for a living. And if it is, you’d better hope someone’s filming. Because the footage that’s doing the rounds doesn’t exactly flatter Alan Ritchson – but there are two sides to every story.
The Reacher star has been caught up in a neighbourhood altercation in Tennessee, with video obtained by TMZ showing Ritchson striking a man multiple times while his sons watch nearby on motorbikes.
The alleged victim, Ronnie Taylor, told TMZ that tension had been building in his neighbourhood over the weekend. He claims Ritchson had been riding a motorbike at high speeds, revving his engine and disturbing the peace on the quiet suburban street.
Taylor said he tried to confront Ritchson on Saturday, asking him to stop, before giving him “an obscene gesture,” which Ritchson allegedly returned.
Then Ritchson returned the next day, riding into the neighbourhood with his two sons also on motorbikes.
“I walked out and said you’ve got to stop. Someone’s going to get hurt,” Taylor told TMZ.
That’s when things got physical.
“I pushed him… he got off his bike and kicked the crap out of me.”
Taylor alleges he was hit “at least four times”, leaving him with visible bruising and swelling. The incident was reported to police, but since the video went viral, more details have emerged disputing the chain of events.
Sources close to Ritchson told TMZ it was Taylor who kicked things off by approaching him aggressively, and knocking him off his bike twice before the recording began. It’s a common occurrence with these viral altercations. Clips that look one way until you learn what happened just before it started.
“I don’t wish the guy any malice or any ill will,” Taylor told TMZ. “We just don’t need people riding around neighbourhoods like this.”
And just to add another twist to the story, TMZ then published Ritchson’s bodycam footage from the incident, which showed Taylor deliberately stepping in the path of Ritchson’s bike on the road, forcing Ritchson to lay the bike down.
The two almost immediately get into a physical altercation, with Ritchson shoving Taylor down as the two hurl profanities at each other. Ritchson then gets back on the bike before Taylor comes back for another round, before Ritchson brings the altercation to an end as only Reacher can. You can see the whole thing at TMZ.
We suspect it’s this bodycam footage that led to local police opting not to press charges . After reviewing the footage and witness statements, authorities determined the actor’s actions fell under self-defence. No charges will be filed.
Let this be a lesson to all neighbourhood road safety enthusiasts: No matter how righteous your cause, don’t start a fight with a guy who’s over 180cm tall and weighs more than 100kg.
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