The Reacher star Alan Ritchson speaks out after getting caught on camera in brawl with neighbor
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Dax Shepard
Alan Ritchson has given context to the 'aggressive' fight he had in front of his kids with a neighbor in March, after claiming body cam footage 'saved his life'.
The Reacher star, 43, said on Monday’s Armchair Expert podcast that he 'would still be in jail' if it wasn't for buying a body camera in 2025, making his first comment about the seemingly vicious altercation, which took place on his street with a neighbor earlier this year.
"Maybe God is real," he said on the show, as the dad-of-three added: "If I hadn’t had that, dude, I’d probably still be in jail. The cops came to arrest me that day and only had [a tape from a neighbor] to go off of. [My video] changed the course of my life forever."
Until filming the episode with his co-hosts, Dax Shepard and Monica Padman, he had been silent about the fight.
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The actor was riding a new motorcycle through his Tennessee neighbourhood with his two children, when an argument broke out with neighbor, Ronnie Taylor.
"I’ve never met that guy ever in my life, never seen him before," he said, giving context to the situation.
He claims that Taylor 'all the sudden stepped in front of' the bike, which he admits was 'loud', and 'came at [him] pretty aggressively'.
Ritchson recalled: "At that point, there’s no conversation. I’ve got to protect me and got to protect my kids and get us off the street safely, and that means getting the guy out of the picture. So I hit the guy."
He added: "I was trying and as it's happening I'm like, 'I don't want to like knock him out, I don't want to break a bone'.
"But when I watched that tape back, though, I'm like, he actually came back again."
Following the unfortunate attack, Ritchson claimed that he has now been 'robbed' of the experience of riding with his kids, who he 'can’t convince' to participate in the hobby anymore, while admitting he doesn't 'blame' them.
Speaking about the 'resentment' he still has for the neighbor, who shared pictures of his injuries on social media earlier this year, Ritchson added: "I have so much anger. I have so much resentment that I just can’t quite let go of. I have nowhere to go because there’s no real resolution there. I just decided to let it go."
Brentwood Police Capt. Steven Pepin confirmed in March soon after the incident that the actor was cleared of charges.
In a statement released to Entertainment Weekly, the officer said: "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-defense."
"I like to work," he explained during the podcast, "I don’t like things that are ill gotten, and I don’t like bad press."