Video published by TMZ showed Ritchson hitting the neighbor, but video from Ritchson’s point of view showed the man stepping out in front of the actor’s motorbike.
“Reacher” series star Alan Ritchson acted in self-defense during an altercation with a Tennessee neighbor, which was recorded on video, police said.
Video of the incident, which TMZ first reported Sunday, appears to show Ritchson punching a man in a blue shirt in the torso while he was on the ground. The video does not show what happened before the fight.
Brentwood police said they investigated the Sunday incident and determined through video and witness statements that Ritchson acted in self-defense.
Representatives for Ritchson did not respond to a request for comment.
Ritchson stars in Amazon’s series “Reacher,” which is based on the books by Lee Child. The lead character, Jack Reacher, is a former military policeman who solves crimes as a vigilante.
The neighbor, Ronnie Taylor, declined to comment to NBC News on Tuesday. He told TMZ that Ritchson and his two children had been riding motorbikes around the neighborhood at a fast speed and revving the engine loudly Sunday afternoon.
“I don’t wish the guy any malice or ill will, but we just don’t need people riding through neighborhoods like this,” Taylor said. “I just decided, you know, I’m gonna take a stand.”
Taylor told the outlet that he told Ritchson to slow down when the situation escalated.
Video of Ritchson’s point of view was published to a social media account not ᴀssociated with him. It appeared to be from a camera attached to his chest as he rode the bike.
The video was posted to TikTok. A police spokesperson confirmed that the video was authentic and that it is part of an investigation into the altercation.
The video shows Ritchson riding on the motorbike when a man, Taylor, steps in front of it, forcing Ritchson to stop. Music appears to have been added to the video, and it plays over the sound of the two men speaking.
Ritchson approaches Taylor and says Taylor threatened his safety. Taylor points his finger as he criticizes Ritchson for his behavior, saying he has been driving around “like a f—— lunatic,” according to the video.
Ritchson walks away as Taylor urges him to “go ahead, call the police.” Ritchson appears to return to his bike to drive away, but it is unclear based on the angle whether he drives toward Taylor or whether Taylor approaches him.
“Move, dude,” Ritchson says before he revs the bike engine. The two men make contact, and Ritchson falls over.
Ritchson gets up, and the two shove each other. Ritchson instructs Taylor to “stay down” after he pushes him to the ground and appears to hit him when Taylor tries to get up. Ritchson then gets back on his bike, and Taylor can be heard talking about contacting the police and saying, “By the way, your ᴀssaulting me is all on camera.”
Police cleared Ritchson of wrongdoing but said a reckless endangerment charge was being considered. However, Ritchson declined to pursue charges, police said.
“With the agreement of the District Attorney’s Office, the case is now closed, and no further action will be taken,” police said.
