Since this weekend, the country has been following updates surrounding the Alabama riverfront brawl that took place in Montgomery on Aug. 5 when a Black man, who was the co-captain of an approaching vessel, was seemingly attacked by a group of white boaters. The resulting chaos ended in multiple injuries and arrest warrants for those involved.
In days following the brawl, more details and background information have been released. Here’s everything we know about what led up to the fight and what’s happening now:
1. The fight brought Montgomery history to the forefront as people online have since discovered the brawl took place on the same dock that enslaved Africans were brought to be sold to slave owners in the 1860s.
3. According to Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert, the situation on the riverfront escalated when a riverboat captain tried to dock but was blocked by a private pontoon boat. The captain attempted to contact the boat riders for about 45 minutes to get them to move the vessel, but "they were only responded to with obscene gestures, curse words, and taunting," Chief Albert stated.
4. Then, the co-captain of the boat tried to “peacefully move the boat over just enough so the Harriott could park,” but “the owners of the boat confronted him in a very hostile manner,” which is how the fight started, Chief Albert confirmed.
5. Arrest warrants have been issued for three white men —Richard Roberts, Allen Todd, and Zachary Shipman — who were onboard the private boat, CNN reported.
6. All three men were charged with third-degree assault, but Richard Roberts was charged with two counts of third-degree assault, while Allen Todd and Zachary Shipman were each charged with one count, CNN reported; though only one of the men is currently in police custody.
Mayor Reed told CNN This Morning, "Those two additional suspects have yet to turn themselves in. And since they didn’t, we may have to go pick them up and give them a ride."
8. And when asked about whether charges would reflect the brawl being racially motivated, Chief Albert said there were “obscene finger-gestures, comments, and innuendos made" by the white individuals, but no hate crime charges have been brought. "Working with the local FBI, we did examine if there was enough to file hate crime charges on this case...it didn't fit the criteria for that," Chief Albert said.
9. The investigation into the Alabama riverfront brawl is ongoing, and officials say more charges are likely to come, according to Chief Albert.
Montgomery police are encouraging those who took videos of the incident to send evidence to police.
10. “We want to ensure that the public understands that we put everything that we had into making sure that the right charges are presented and that these folks will face the appropriate charges and their day in court,” Chief Albert stated.
