The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting Police in Philadelphia are investigating a complaint that Flyers’ mascot Gritty, the punched a 13-year-old following a photo shoot at a November event for season-ticket holders, according to police.
Chris Greenwell told the Inquirer that his son, Brandon, playfully patted Gritty on the head after a photo shoot was and walked away. Greenwell said Gritty left his chair, ‘took a running start’ and hit his son as hard as he could.
A police spokesperson described the incident as an alleged “physical assault” during a photo shoot, adding that the investigation is “active and ongoing,” according to the Inquirer.
The Flyers have denied any wrongdoing by their mascot in a statement released on social media.
We took Mr. Greenwell’s allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation finding nothing to support his allegation, the team said in a statement.
Greenwell told the Inquirer with documents from a chiropractor saying Brandon was diagnosed with a back bruise.
Greenwell said he reached out to the team to request an apology and ask that the team do something special for his son. In an email Greenwell shared with the Inquirer, a Comcast Spectacor official told Greenwell it found no proof that Gritty hit his son, though the official offered to make up for the “bad experience.”
After a disagreement over what was said in a follow-up phone call, Greenwell, who said he hasn’t hired a lawyer, filed a complaint with police on Dec. 21.
The Flyers unveiled the orange mascot with bulbous eyes in 2018, but Gritty quickly became a fan favorite and has his own social media platform.
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