Gritty won't be doing any time in the penalty box.
The googly-eyed, 7-foot-tall Philadelphia Flyers mascot did not commit any crime and will not be arrested for its alleged tussle with a young fan, police said Monday.
Gritty was accused of shoving a 13-year-old boy from behind during a meet-and-greet for Flyers season ticket holders on Nov. 19 inside the Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia.
"That investigation, which has been completed and is no longer active, determined that the actions of the individual portraying the Flyers' mascot did not constitute physical assault as alleged," according to a Philadelphia police statement.
The boy's father, Chris Greenwell, complained about Gritty to Comcast Spectacor, the company that owns the Flyers. Greenwell said his son innocently tapped Gritty on the head before the Broad Street Bullies mascot assaulted the boy.
"He taps Gritty three times on the head, a light tap," the father said. "After that, my son walks away. Gritty was about 8 feet away from my son, got out of the chair and lunged at him and hit him in the back."
Comcast Spectacor and NBCUniversal, which owns NBC News, are subsidiaries of Comcast.
