Alan Ritchson's bike 'flipped' over because of neighbor?
What's the story
Alan Ritchson, the star of the Amazon Prime Video series Reacher, was recently involved in a violent altercation with his neighbor, Ronnie Taylor. The incident occurred while Ritchson was riding bikes with his children in their Brentwood, Tennessee, neighborhood. In a police statement obtained by Page Six, Ritchson alleged that Taylor exhibited "unprovoked aggression" toward him and his kids during the encounter.
Incident details
'In an effort to avoid hitting him...'
Ritchson claimed that Taylor purposely stepped in front of his motorcycle, forcing him to stop abruptly and causing the bike to flip over. "In an effort to avoid hitting him, I was forced to stop so hard my bike flipped over, landing on me," he alleged. The actor sustained injuries to his thumb and elbow in the incident.
Safety concerns
'I pushed him to the ground to create distance...'
Ritchson alleged that Taylor approached him "as if to fight" after he got up from the ground. The statement added, "I pushed him to the ground to create distance between us and safety for myself and my kids." The actor also accused Taylor of threatening him for "driving like a lunatic" and said he could smell alcohol on his breath during their confrontation.
Escalation of conflict
'Should have run him over'
The situation escalated when Ritchson, in anger, told Taylor that he "should knock him out" or "should have run him over." After this, the actor tried to leave without further confrontation. However, he alleged that Taylor accused him of hitting him with his motorcycle and called him a "p-sy" in an attempt to provoke him. Ritchson added, "As I was attempting to leave peacefully, he put himself in front of my bike again."
Legal outcome
Brentwood Police confirmed no charges would be filed against actor
The Brentwood Police Department later confirmed to Hollywood Reporter that Ritchson acted in self-defense and would not face any criminal charges. The actor defended his actions in a statement, saying he was forced to defend himself and this was the first time he had to protect himself with force.
Evidence and injuries
Footage of the incident was released online
New footage of the incident was released online, seemingly captured by Ritchson's bodycam. The three-minute video shows Taylor stepping into the middle of the road to block Ritchson and his children from riding their motorcycles. After the altercation, Taylor was seen with bruises and scratches on his face during an interview with TMZ.