Reacher star Alan Ritchson allegedly beat up his Tennessee neighbour as the actor’s kids stood by, all of it caught on video, though several sources claim he acted in self defense.
The alleged incident started Saturday and carried over into Sunday, when neighbour Ronnie Taylor said Ritchson clocked him after he exasperatedly asked the actor to stop speeding through the quiet neighbourhood with his children on cacophonous Kawasaki motorbikes.
Taylor admitted firing the opening salvo Saturday by flipping the bird at Ritchson, angry that the star was screeching through the streets of their Nashville suburb. The actor replied in kind, Taylor told TMZ.
On Sunday it got worse, when around noon, Ritchson sped through the neighbourhood accompanied by two kids on their own motorbikes.
“Can you f–king stop this please?” Taylor said he asked the Smallville actor.
Ritchson allegedly punched his neighbour in the face, hitting him “at least four times” and kicking him, then trying to run him off with his motorbike, Taylor told TMZ. He shared photos of his bruised face, though he said he went to the police and not the hospital.
Video apparently taken from a window overlooking the scene appeared to show Ritchson knocking another man to the ground and kicking him while he was down. However, the footage seems to catch the altercation in midstream, making it unclear who threw the first punch. Sources close to the actor later told TMZ that Taylor had “ initiated and instigated” the whole thing.
Ritchson has not commented publicly, but those close to him told the outlet that Taylor first ran into the street and blocked Ritchson’s bike in a “really aggressive” manner.
This knocked Ritchson off his motorcycle, which resulted in cuts, bruises and a minor finger injury, TMZ reported. Taylor taunted him while he was on the ground, daring him to take a swing, but Ritchson instead tried to disengage by mounting his bike and attempting to leave.
Taylor then allegedly threw Ritchson to the ground a second time, which is when the action star pummeled him, the actor’s camp said.
No arrests had been made as of Monday afternoon, but local police confirmed to WSMV-TV that they were investigating and indicated that Ritchson was cooperating. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
