Philadelphia Flyers Mascot Gritty is Under Investigation for Assault.
Police in Philadelphia are reportedly investigating an assault accusation against Gritty, the official mascot of the Flyers, the city’s National Hockey League team.
Gritty is being accused of punching a 13-year-old boy in 2019 during a photo opportunity for season ticket holders.
The boy is said to have patted Gritty on the head before walking away which prompted the mascot to take a “running start” and punch the boy “as hard as he could”.
According to the boy’s father, Chris Greenwell, the punch caused a “contusion” to his son’s “lower thoracic spine,” otherwise known as a bruise.
Greenwell initially attempted to handle the situation directly with the Flyers, asking the team to apologize and do “something special” for his son.
However, his communication with the team allegedly “went south,” prompting him to file an official police complaint.
The Flyers have since denied any wrongdoing by Gritty, saying they found “nothing to support [Greenwell’s] claim”.
A spokesperson for the Flyers told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "We took Mr. Greenwell's allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation"