Woody Harrelson says he punched a man in ‘self-defense’ after he kept taking pictures of his daughter

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By Nika Shakhnazarova

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Woody Harrelson got into a physical altercation with a man who reportedly refused to stop taking photos of the Hunger Games actor and his daughter, according to Washington, D.C. police.

The Academy Award-nominated actor, 60, reportedly struck a man in self-defense during a physical altercation on the rooftop of the Watergate Hotel on Wednesday night, according to a police report obtained by USA Today.

According to the report by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, a man lunged towards Harrelson and attempted to grab his neck following a "verbal dispute."

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Woody Harrelson pictured with his wife Laura Louis. Credit: AGENZIA SINTESI / Alamy

Acting in "defense of himself," Harrelson punched the man. The police report was based on several eyewitnesses accounts.

The unidentified man, who witnesses described to police as "intoxicated," was taking pictures of Harrelson and his daughter, prompting Harrelson to request the person to delete the photos, according to police.

That verbal dispute prompted the physical altercation. Police were called at around 11 PM on Wednesday, October 6, after a report of an assault on the roof deck of The Watergate Hotel, Page Six reports.

Officers arrived and found several people on the roof, including Harrelson and his daughter.

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Credit: REUTERS / Alamy

An investigation into the altercation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed yet. The man's name will be released if there are charges.

NBC Washington reports that the man who lunged towards Harrelson is set to face charges, police told News4.

Harrelson has been in Washington, D.C. filming an HBO series called The White House Plumbers, on the Watergate scandal.

The actor is father to three daughters - Makani, 15, Zoe, 25, and Deni, 28 - whom he shares with his wife, Laura Louie.

It is unclear which daughter was with her famous father during the incident.

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy