Trending Now: Alan Ritchson breaks silence on ‘crazy week’ after viral fight video – Fans React

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Alan Ritchson has broken his silence after he was caught on camera giving one of his neighbours a beating in a now-viral video.

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Ritchson, 43, briefly addressed the drama as he updated fans on the upcoming fourth season of his hit Prime Video series, Reacher, which is adapted from Lee Child’s bestselling books about a former military investigator who dispenses his own brand of vigilante justice against evildoers.

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“Happy to be back in the booth after such a crazy week! That’s a wrap for me on post-production — #Reacher Season 4,” he captioned a clip showing himself in a recording booth. “This is, without a doubt the most gripping season yet. I think we hit our stride. Firing on all cylinders… as it were.”

Ritchson made headlines over the weekend after he was filmed laying a smack down on one of his neighbours outside a home in Brentwood, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville.

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No charges after police investigation

Footage of Ritchson pounding Ronnie Taylor went viral, but police cleared the actor after officers determined the War Machine star acted in self-defence.

“The Brentwood Police Department, in coordination with the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office, has concluded its investigation into the incident involving Alan Ritchson and Ronnie Taylor on March 22, in Brentwood TN. 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-defence. Although a potential reckless endangerment charge was considered, Mr. Ritchson declined to pursue charges,” Brentwood Police Department Captain Steven Pepin told the Toronto Sun in a statement.

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“With the agreement of the District Attorney’s Office, the case is now closed, and no further action will be taken.”

Ritchson shared a cryptic Instagram quote after the video made the rounds online.

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. – Napoleon Bonaparte,” the Smallville alum shared.

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What the neighbour said happened

According to TMZ, which published the first video of the purported attack, Taylor said the dispute started when Ritchson was “flying at excessive speed, revving his engine and disturbing the peace” in their “well-to-do” neck of the woods.

Taylor said that he asked the father of three, “Can you f***ing stop this please?”

He told police Ritchson “punched him in the face and kicked him.”

In an interview published by TMZ shortly afterwards, Taylor showed off his facial injuries and described himself as an experienced motorcyclist.

“I’ve been riding bikes all my life,” he said. “I heard this (incessant) revving and speeding through our neighbourhood and eventually saw the guy … I didn’t know who it was. I said, flippantly, ‘Can you slow it down, please?’”

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Taylor claimed numerous neighbours saw Ritchson allegedly speeding through their subdivision and said he “took a stand because someone has to.”

“He rode by once, twice and on the second time I walked out in front of him and said, ‘You’ve got to stop’ and it escalated quite quickly from there,” he said, before admitting that things turned physical after he pushed Ritchson.

“I did push him because he was coming towards me on his bike … I pushed him a second time and he got off his bike and kicked the crap out of me,” Taylor said. “You can see, he hit me in the back of the head. I went down to the ground and covered myself … I’ve had such a s**** day today. I don’t wish the guy any malice or ill will, but we don’t need people riding through neighbourhoods like this.”

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Body cam footage helped exonerate Ritchson

A subsequent recording obtained by TMZ on Tuesday morning showed Ritchson was wearing his own body cam in the preface to the fight.

The new clip showed Taylor running out into middle of the street and Ritchson losing control of his motorcycle before the clobbering began.

Ritchson got off his green Kawasaki motorcycle and could be heard saying, “Are you f***ing kidding me, bro? … You’re outta your f***ing mind, dude! … I should have run you over, dude.”

In response, Taylor accused Ritchson of riding “like a f***ing lunatic … there’s kids around here.”

Ritchson initially walked away and got back on the bike, but Taylor continues to berate him before things quickly escalated.

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“Stay down!” Ritchson commanded after landing a series of blows that sent Taylor tumbling to a neighbour’s lawn. When he was finished getting pummeled, Taylor threatened Ritchson by telling him he was calling police.

“That’s assault … assault and battery,” he exclaimed. “I’m calling 911 … By the way, your assaulting me is all on camera.”

As Taylor continued to yell, the video then ended with Ritchson driving away.

Fans supported actor’s actions

After seeing the lead up to their fight, many Reacher fans threw their support behind Ritchson, accusing Taylor of being the instigator.

“Imagine being a normal neighbour and seeing Reacher pull up on a motorcycle with a body cam. At that point, just move houses. You already lost the season finale,” one person said.

“That neighbour provoked the hell out of him and wouldn’t stop pushing,” a second person wrote, with a third adding, “If Alan Ritchson beats your ass, you had it coming. Like this guy did.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com

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