Flyers mascot Gritty cleared of punching teen in Philadelphia

Gritty did nothing wrong, according to Philadelphia police.

Investigators say they will not pursue charges against the Philadelphia Flyers mascot after finding no evidence to support an accusation that he physically assaulted a teenager during a photo op late last year.

Police made the announcement on Monday after spending more than a month investigating the case, ABC News reports.

“That investigation, which has been completed and is no longer active, determined that the actions of the individual portraying the Flyers’ mascot did not constitute physical assault as alleged,” police said in a statement on Monday.

The statement did not name the person inside the Gritty costume, in keeping with most coverage of the story.

Season ticket holder Chris Greenwell initially accused Gritty of punching his son, 13, in the back after the boy tapped the mascot’s head during a photo op. Greenwell filed the assault complaint with police in December. He claimed the assault happened in November at the Wells Fargo Center, which is the Flyers’ home rink.

Greenwell defended the initial allegation in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday.

“I respect the police’s decision, but I stand by what my son told me and what I saw, and I just want to put this behind me,” Greenwell said. “Any parent would have done the same if they were in the same situation.”

Gritty’s NHL team welcomed the police decision on Monday.

“We are pleased that the Philadelphia Police Department concluded there was no merit to the alleged claim,” the Flyers said in a statement. “The police department’s statement confirms our thorough internal investigation that found no evidence of the described actions ever having taken place.”

The Flyers introduced Gritty as their orange-bearded, googly-eyed, monster-muppet mascot in September 2018. The manic figure quickly went viral with his bizarre appearance, ridiculous outfits and comical physical antics, which often reached fans and celebrities outside the NHL.

Gritty’s Twitter account fell silent after the allegations were first reported last month. However, videos show he’s typically a full-contact mascot with a penchant for throwing cakes in people’s faces.

The mascot continued to make appearances around the city of Philadelphia and was on-hand in St. Louis for the NHL All-Star Game in late January.

Fans welcomed the news that Gritty had been cleared on Monday.

“Gritty did nothing wrong,” several users tweeted.

“Will there be an impeachment hearing?” another individual asked.

“A complete hoax,” one user wrote, in a nod to U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment defence. “Gritty did nothing wrong! It was a perfect punch.” (Police found no evidence of a punch.)

Several users celebrated the simple fact that Gritty — and not the man who plays him — remained the subject of the investigation.

“Justice for Gritty!” others tweeted.