Flyers' Mascot Gritty Under Investigation for Alleged Assault

The Philadelphia Flyers' mascot, Gritty, is accused of punching a 13-year-old boy "as hard as he could."

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty is under investigation for allegedly assaulting a 13-year-old boy during a photo shoot, police said.

Chris Greenwell and his son Brandon met the hairy, googly-eyed mascot at a November event for season ticket holders. Brandon patted Gritty on the head after he and his father posed for a photo with him at the Wells Fargo Center, Greenwell told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Greenwell said that as Brandon walked away, Gritty ran out of his chair and “punched my son as hard as he could.”

Greenwell, who told the newspaper that he only wanted an apology and something special for his son, filed a complaint with police Dec. 21. A police spokesperson said Tuesday that the investigation is “active and ongoing.”

Officials at Comcast Spectacor, the company that owns the Flyers, said it conducted an investigation but could not verify whether the alleged assault happened.

“We took Mr. Greenwell’s allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim,” a Flyers spokesperson said in an emailed statement.