The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Flyers mascot Gritty is currently under police investigation for allegedly assaulting a teenage boy last year.
The incident occurred in November when Chris Greenwell brought his 13-year-old son to the Wells Fargo Center for an exclusive event for season ticket holders. After the kid snapped a photo with Gritty, Greenwell claims he playfully patted the mascot on the head, and Gritty reacted by getting out of his chair, taking "a running start," and "punched my son as hard as he could." One week after the incident, the kid went to see a chiropractor who diagnosed him with a back bruise.
Greenwell claims he emailed Flyers ownership group, Comcast Spectacor, to work something out. Flyers officials argued that despite having no proof of Gritty striking Brandon, they still suggested a number of perks to make up for their "bad experience." However, these offers didn't quite meet Greenwell's more lofty demands.
Greenwell wanted the Flyers to show Brandon on their jumbotron or allow him to visit the locker room, meet their players and get autographs. The company countered with a chance for his son to sit on the players’ bench during warm-ups at an upcoming game.
Greenwell claims talks with Flyers officials soured when Laurie Kleinman, vice president of risk management at Comcast Spectacor, allegedly said the person dressed as Gritty admitted to hitting Brandon, but then denied making that declaration. That's when Greewell says he decided to take his gripe to the police.
"We took Mr. Greenwell’s allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim," a Flyers spokesperson said in a statement. Greenwell said he was just looking for an apology and "something special for his son." He told TMZ Sports that he isn't looking to file a lawsuit, and he's "letting the police handle it."
