Alan Ritchson Doubles Down On Anti-Police Stance, Releases Unhinged Statement

Alan Ritchson is going to war with the police organization that called him out.

The man famous for being the face of "Reacher" on Amazon upset people when he made some incredibly offensive comments about cops during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in connection with wearing a Breonna Taylor t-shirt. Taylor was killed during a botched raid, and multiple officers were charged over an allegedly faulty warrant.

That was a tragic case. Cops get away with murder all the time, and the fact that we can’t really hold them accountable for their improprieties is disturbing to me. We should completely reform the way that we do it. I mean, you shouldn’t have to spend more time getting an education as a hairstylist than as a cop who’s armed with a deadly weapon. We should make it very hard for people to make mistakes or abuse power in our institutions," Ritchson told The Hollywood Reporter when talking about the subject.

That lead to the National Fraternal Order of Police releasing the following statement:

"While Mr. Alan Ritchson gets his face and forehead powdered on set, our officers are out doing a job he doesn’t have the courage to do. While he gets to hear loud pops and have blanks fired at him, our officers feel the heat of the bullets as they pierce their skin. There are no take two’s or take three’s in real life Mr. Ritchson. We have people who want to kill us and we play for keeps. Just another useless Hollywood actor, virtue signaling for attention at the expense of brave police officers around this country. Go back to your pampered life and let the heroes handle this."

Now, Ritchson is firing back, and he doesn't seem overly happy.

"This kind of emotionally immature response is the epitome of what concerns me about law enforcement today. If this is how leadership handles a peaceful disagreement, what does life look like for those unseen interactions in the street? How does this shape the character of those police officers looking to management? Do you really want individuals so easily angered, who bully like school children to have a gun and the protection of an untouchable union? I don’t," Ritchson wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post.

"To @glfop [this might be the wrong tag] : You belittle me for being incapable of demonstrating bravery, but I believe that’s exactly what I’ve shown. You’ve haplessly fired multiple shots at me simply because I have called for more accountability. I did this knowing people like you who crave a pat on the back and zero accountability would criticize me. Standing up to impossibly large institutions takes courage. I’ve never been a fan of blind allegiance which is dangerous and fertile ground for fascism, a political persuasion I’m averse to," the star actor continued. Then, Ritchson decided to praise some police while also doubling down.

"I also believe two truths can be held at the same time. There are absolutely many good and brave cops who deserve the public’s gratitude and certainly have mine. Simultaneously, it is true that there are rogue or ill-equipped officers who remind us that we need higher barriers to entry and stricter regulations so abuses are relegated to the past. Both can be and are true. To only seek praise and ignore this need is extremely unwise and endangers those at risk of being ostracized and marginalized - which is who I was referring to in my Hollywood Reporter article," the "Reacher" star further wrote.

Alan Ritchson is in open war with a police organization that criticized him. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage,)

Alan Ritchson goes after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

He concluded by taking a completely false shot at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
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Ritchson finished with, "To make matters worse, in Florida, voters perpetuate these issues by continuing to support people like Gov. Desantis who just passed a law making it illegal for anyone other than the police to police themselves. This, lack of transparency would be laughable if not so deadly. ⁣I’m certain efforts like these take us further from the world I hope to leave for my children, which is one with extreme prudence when deciding who we arm and a glass house for public institutions. Especially ones with the ability to end lives. So thank you for your service and yes… I do think like that."

To be clear, Ron DeSantis definitely did not pass "a law making it illegal for anyone other than the police to police themselves." The law deals with people harassing police officer while they're working and "codifies" the "Civilian Oversight Boards" to make sure investigations are fair. 

Text of new Florida law dealing with police investigations. (Credit: https://www.flgov.com/2024/04/12/governor-desantis-signs-legislation-to-protect-floridas-law-enforcement-officers/)

Well, just in case anyone thought Alan Ritchson might walk back his comments and clarify what he meant about cops killing people, I think that can officially be ruled out.

The most disappointing part is I thought Alan Ritchson was a rational and intelligent person. Yet, his information isn't even remotely accurate. Police do not murder people all the time and get away with it. So far, there have been four police shootings of unarmed people in 2024, and the details are as follows:

• Victor Figueroa Roblero - shot during an alleged physical altercation with a Spartanburg Methodist College campus security officer.
• Roshod Graham - shot after allegedly ramming his car into police following an alleged domestic dispute at a gas station.
• Terrell Marshawn Miller - A four-year-old shot and killed when 57-year-old Anthony T. George allegedly held a knife to his throat and stomach. Miller died when police attempted to shoot George. The latter was also killed during the incident. It amounts to a failed hostage rescue mission.
• Mariah Voigt - shot and killed by police after allegedly motioning like she had a gun following a response to what officers believed was a stolen vehicle.

In what world is Ritchson living in to believe that cops are murdering people on a regular basis? It makes absolutely no sense. Yet, he's now doubled down and left no doubt about how he feels. People make mistakes and say stupid things. The right thing to do is admit your error and make adjustments. Ritchson didn't do that. The Hollywood star stupidly dug the hole even deeper. Fans are going to abandon him like the Titanic going down. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.