riverboat melee in alabama

Alabama riverfront melee: 5th suspect turns himself in, police say

The alleged assault on a ferry co-captain led to a brawl at Riverfront Park.

Police say a fifth suspect in the Riverfront Park melee turned himself in on Friday, nearly a week after the large physical altercation in Montgomery, Alabama.

Charges were originally filed against three white boaters who allegedly assaulted a Black ferry co-captain on Saturday. Two more people have since been charged in connection with the incident.

The latest -- 42-year-old Reggie Ray -- turned himself in to police on Friday and was charged with disorderly conduct, police said. He is currently housed in the municipal jail.

An attorney for Ray, who is Black, told ABC News his client was "involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob."

"Mr. Ray will continue to participate with the ongoing investigation concerning the same and is committed to be forthcoming about his limited role in the brawl," the attorney, Lee Merritt, said in a statement.

Ray's arrest follows that of 21-year-old Mary Todd, who was booked and charged with one count of assault in the third degree on Thursday, according to the Montgomery Police Department.

Two other suspects turned themselves in to Montgomery Police Department on Wednesday, the department said. Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Shipman, 25, are each being charged with one count of assault in the third degree, which is a misdemeanor, police said.

Another suspect, Richard Roberts, a 48-year-old white male, was first to turn himself in on Tuesday after charges were filed, police told ABC News. Roberts was charged with two counts of third-degree assault.

Montgomery Police Department Chief Darryl Albert identified the victim as Harriet II co-captain Dameion Pickett, a Black male. He also mentioned an unnamed 16-year-old white male who was allegedly struck by the owners and operators of a private boat that was blocking the riverboat from docking.

According to videos captured by bystanders and obtained by ABC News, the fight appeared to begin after a white man punched Pickett. Several other white individuals joined the altercation, which seemed to set off a brawl between those individuals, Pickett and bystanders. Other videos captured by onlookers show that bystanders joined the brawl in an apparent attempt to defend the co-captain, with one man seen swimming to the dock from a riverboat.

Albert also said that police are seeking further interviews with a man who was allegedly seen in bystander videos wielding a folding chair.

MORE: Arrest warrants issued after boaters attack dock employee at Montgomery riverbank

Asked if there's any evidence of a hate crime, Albert said that police "looked at every avenue" and left "no stone unturned," but "were unable to present any insight in a riot or racial racially biased charges at this time."

The charges came after police issued four arrest warrants related to the incident and told ABC News in a statement on Monday that additional arrests could come as police continue to review video evidence of the incident.

Police said officers responded to a disturbance at Riverfront Park around 7 p.m. Saturday, where they found a large group of people engaged in a physical altercation and several were detained at the scene.

According to a witness who captured video of the incident, the assault and subsequent brawl came amid a reported dispute over a pontoon boat that was blocking a space of a riverboat.

The witness, Christa Owen, told ABC News Monday that she was on a dinner cruise on the riverboat with her 12-year-old daughter when the incident occurred. She said that after the owners of the pontoon boat were asked multiple times to move the boat they "refused," so a crew member got off the boat and tried to move the pontoon boat himself.

"The black pontoon boat parked where the ferry parks. They wouldn't move when we were trying to pull in. It seems what these guys wanted trumped what a couple hundred people on a stranded ferry needed," Owen said, adding that prior to the brawl, the people on her boat repeatedly asked the people on the pontoon boat to move.

She added, "They just looked at us, decided not to [move the pontoon boat], shrugged their shoulders and left. That's when a crewman disembarked onto a small boat to the dock to do it."

Owen said a couple of hundred people were "stranded on water" until the pontoon boat was moved.

ABC News' Ben Stein, Kerem Inal and Armando Garcia contributed to this report.

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Alabama boat fight: What happened, and who’s been charged so far

Montgomery brawl: police announce arrests.

Montgomery Police announce arrests after a brawl at Riverfront Park over the weekend.

Three men are facing charges following a riverfront brawl in Montgomery, Alabama , that gained national attention after multiple videos circulated online showing a group of white people beating a Black boat captain, sparking a massive fight. 

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert provided an update on the department’s investigation and announced the charges during a Tuesday news conference.

What happened in the Alabama boat brawl?

The situation began Saturday when a pontoon boat blocked a city-operated riverboat called Harriott II from docking in its designated space along the city’s riverfront, Albert said. The Harriott II had 227 passengers aboard for a tour, the Associated Press reported. 

The riverboat captain tried to contact the pontoon boat owner by loudspeaker, and people on the other boat responded with "obscene gestures, curse words and taunting," the police chief said. 

RELATED: Brawl at Montgomery, Alabama riverfront dock caught on video

The Harriott, a riverboat, remains docked on August 8, 2023, on the Alabama riverfront in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. Three people have now been charged in the large fight on floating dock Saturday that was captured on video by numerous spectators.

The riverboat co-captain took another vessel to shore to attempt to move the pontoon boat and "was attacked by several members of the private boat." Albert said several people from the riverboat came to the co-captain’s defense, "engaging in what we all have seen since on social media."

Videos posted after the fact showed multiple points of view of the large melee.

RELATED: Massive brawl at Montgomery, Alabama riverfront dock caught on video

A white man shoved and punched the Black crew member, according to one video taken by a riverboat passenger and published by WSFA. The conflict escalated when several white people joined in on attacking the Black crew member. 

"The co-captain was doing his job. He was simply trying to move the boat just enough so the cruise ship could park safely, but it quickly escalated," Albert said.

A separate video showed several Black passengers then confronted the pontoon boat group after the riverboat docked, sparking another brawl that was largely split along racial lines.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed speaks to the press regarding the brawl that occurred Saturday on the riverfront on August 8, 2023 in Montgomery, Alabama. Arrest warrants have been issued by authorities following an altercation among several individuals

Authorities said 13 people were detained and taken to police headquarters for questioning following the incident, and they were later allowed to leave. 

Albert said police are also looking to speak with a 42-year-old Black man allegedly shown in social media videos wielding a folding chair. 

The brawl sparked dozens of internet memes and videos with some joking that the chair should be put in a local museum.

Who is facing charges?

After the detainees were allowed to leave on Saturday, authorities announced later that some charges had been handed out.

As of August 13, five people are now facing charges: 

• A 48-year-old man, with two counts of misdemeanor assault
• Two men in their 20s, with misdemeanor assault
• A 21-year-old woman, with misdemeanor assault
• A 42-year-old man, with disorderly conduct 

Who are the victims?

Police identified the victims in the attack as Damien Pickett, the Black co-captain of the riverboat, and a 16-year-old white male who had transported Pickett to the dock in a small boat.

Police didn’t elaborate on how seriously anyone had been injured. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 

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A waterfront brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, went viral. What happened and why?

The riverfront worker who was attacked said he “held on for dear life” as a group of white boaters jumped him in a large brawl that broke out at the Montgomery Riverfront in Alabama on Aug. 5.

In a handwritten account he filed with law enforcement after the Aug. 5 melee and obtained by NBC News, Dameion Pickett recalled what happened the day when the men refused to move their boat so a dinner cruise riverboat could dock.

“A tall, older white guy came over and hit me in the face. I took my hat off and threw it in the air,” he wrote. “Somebody hit me from behind. I started choking the older guy in front of me so he couldn’t anymore, pushing him back at the same time.”

Pickett has not made a public statement regarding the incident and did not respond to NBC News' request for comment.

Videos that went viral on social media showed a group of white men attacking Pickett. The footage caused an outcry, with the Montgomery mayor addressing the altercation and police issuing arrest warrants.

Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Shipman, 25, have been charged with one misdemeanor count of assault in the third degree, a spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department said.

Another man, Richard Roberts, 48, faces two third-degree assault charges and turned himself in on Aug. 8.

A fourth suspect in the case, Mary Todd, 21, turned herself in on Aug. 10 and was charged with misdemeanor third-degree assault.

A fifth suspect, Reggie Ray, 42, turned himself in on Aug. 11 and was charged with disorderly conduct. Police had previously sought Ray after he was seen wielding a folding chair in the melee on social media videos.

So what exactly happened? Read on for a full explanation of this now-viral incident.

What happened at the Montgomery Riverfront

A large brawl broke out Saturday, Aug. 5, shortly before 7 p.m. at the Alabama capital after Pickett attempted to clear a dock along the river so that the Harriott II Riverboat could dock, witnesses told NBC News . The brawl was fueled by alcohol and adrenaline, witnesses also said.

When a group of rowdy boaters refused to move their pontoon at the Montgomery Riverfront, they attacked Pickett when he untied their boat to make way for the riverboat, witnesses said.

In video shared with NBC News , after a group of what appears to be white men ran along the dock to attack the worker, who is Black, more people joined in and appeared to defend Pickett. Other footage shared with NBC News shows people punching and shoving one another, with one person falling into the water as police struggled to contain the chaos.

The Riverfront is a popular destination with a park, stadium, amphitheater and riverboat.

What police say about the fight

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert, in a news conference on Aug. 8 , confirmed that a group of private white boaters had attacked a Black dockworker, identified as Pickett. Later, police would identify Pickett as the assistant boat captain of the riverboat.

He had been trying to move the private boaters' pontoon to make way for the riverboat.

As passengers aboard the riverboat — more than 200 — waited at least 30 minutes, Pickett tried to get the rowdy private boaters to move. Several members of the private pontoon group then attacked Pickett, Albert said.

Albert added that police arrived on the scene at 7:18 p.m. local time — about 18 minutes after the riverboat captain had called. He said 13 people were detained, questioned and then released.

What did the attacked dockworker say about the incident?

In a handwritten statement filed with police and obtained by NBC News, Pickett said he asked the group “five or six times” to move their boat.

When he and a dockhand were ignored and given the finger, he says, they untied the group’s pontoon boat, moved it “three steps to the right” and re-tied it to a post so the Harriott II could dock.

“By that time, two people ran up behind me,” Pickett wrote, adding that a man in a red hat yelled, “Don’t touch that boat motherf---er or we will beat your ass.”

He said the men continued to threaten him and then one of them called another man over.

“They both were very drunk,” Pickett wrote, adding that then the pontoon boat owner went over “started getting loud … He got into my face. ‘This belongs to the f---ing public.’ I told him this was a city dock.”

That’s when the brawl began. Pickett wrote, “A tall, older white guy came over and hit me in the face. I took my hat off and threw it in the air. Somebody hit me from behind. I started choking the older guy in front of me so he couldn’t anymore, pushing him back at the same time.”

Adding, “Then the guy in the red shorts came up and tackled me … I went to the ground. I think I hit one of them.”

Sharing more recollections from the fight, he said, “I can’t tell you how long it lasted. I grabbed one of them and just held on for dear life.”

Pickett was eventually helped by other people but noticed the brawl was getting out of hand, writing, “One of my co-workers had jumped into the water and was pushing people and fighting.”

He added that his nephew joined the melee and he had also seen his sister being choked during the fight.

As more chaos ensued, the riverboat had not been tied to the dock but Pickett helped the passengers off the boat. He wrote that he apologized “for the inconvenience. They all said I did nothing wrong.”

“Some of them were giving me cards with their names and numbers on it. Some said they had it all on film, so I pointed them out to MPD,” he added. After the altercation, he was treated at the emergency room where he was treated for bruised ribs and bumps on his head.

What witnesses say about the brawl

Witnesses told NBC News a similar version of events. Christa Owen said she was aboard the Harriott II with her husband and daughter when the brawl broke out.

“What was hard is we were all on the boat and witnessing our poor crewman being attacked by these guys, and we couldn’t do anything about it,” Owen said.

“It was really difficult to watch, and, like I said, we felt helpless, because we were forced to be spectators,” Owen added.

Owen was among those who recorded the altercations, explaining that it was “inexcusable behavior.”

Additionally, Leslie Mawhorter also on Harriott II, added: “They just didn’t think the rules applied to them. It was so avoidable. This never had to have happened. Everything just spiraled from there.”

“I knew something was going to go down, because their attitude was just, ‘You can’t tell us what to do.’ They were going to be confrontational regardless of who you were,” Mawhorter continued.

Have police made any arrests?

Four men and one woman are facing charges , according to police: Richard Roberts, 48; Reggie Ray, 42; Allen Todd, 23; and Zachery Shipman, 25, and Mary Todd, 21.

“There was no need for this event to take the path it did,” Albert told reporters earlier this week. “The people of Montgomery, we’re better than that. We’re a fun city, and we don’t want this type of activity to shed a dark eye on what this city’s all about.”

Was the fight racially motivated?

In the press conference on Aug. 8, Albert said investigators do not believe the incident was racially motivated.

He said that the local FBI and district attorney’s offices are involved in the ongoing investigation. 

“I don’t think you can judge any community by any one incident. I think it’s important for us to address this as an isolated incident, one that was avoidable,” Albert said. “One that was brought on by individuals who chose the wrong path of action.”

What the mayor of Montgomery said about the altercation

On Sunday, Aug. 6, Mayor Steven L. Reed released a statement saying that “justice will be served” after individuals attacked “a man who was doing his job.”

“Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job. Warrants have been signed and justice will be served,” the statement posted on social media read. “This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community.”

“Those who choose violent actions will be held accountable by our criminal justice system,” the statement concluded.

Reed shared how he felt about the incident during a press conference on Aug. 7.

"I feel like it’s an unfortunate incident. Our statement that we put out the other day is that it’s something that shouldn’t have happened and it’s something that we’re investigating right now," Reed said. "We’ll continue to go through that process before we take any additional steps."

When asked if Reed thought the incident was racially charged, he said the brawl is still under investigation, and that authorities are "investigating all angles."

The investigation is ongoing.

EDITOR'S NOTE (Aug. 11, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. ET): Previous police statements listed the man attacked as Damien Pickett and one of the suspects as Zachary Shipman. On Aug. 11, officials corrected their names' spellings to Dameion Pickett and Zachery Shipman. This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling.

Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based reporter and editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.

Anna Kaplan is a news and trending reporter for TODAY.com.

Sam Kubota is a senior digital editor and journalist for TODAY Digital based in Los Angeles. She joined NBC News in 2019.

Police say more charges likely in massive brawl at Montgomery, Alabama riverfront dock

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Police say additional charges are likely as they investigate a large, chaotic caught-on-video brawl at a riverfront dock in Montgomery , Alabama, on Saturday that has so far resulted in arrest warrants for three men.

The incident began as a dispute over a dockside parking spot at Riverfront Park that led to the co-captainof a riverboat being attacked by a group that had parked their pontoon in the riverboat's spot, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert said Tuesday.

It then escalated into a large fight that involved punches, a chair to the head and at least one person in the water.

Arrest warrants were issued Tuesday for three men, all of them from the private pontoon boat, Albert said at a news conference.

Richard Roberts, 48, was charged with two counts of third-degree assault, while Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, were each charged with one such count, Albert said. The chief described the three as White men.

One of those men has surrendered and is in custody, and the two others were expected to surrender soon, Albert said at Tuesday's news conference. He did not specify who was already in custody.

Those two additional suspects have yet to turn themselves in, Mayor Steven Reed told "CNN This Morning" on Wednesday.

"And since they didn't, we may have to go pick them up and give them a ride," Reed said.

The investigation is far from over, however, with police having "many, many more interviews to conduct," the chief said Tuesday.

"As we identify additional folks that we need to talk to, we will ask them to come in and we'll try to locate them and do further investigation to see if the charges are appropriate," Albert said.

A man seen wielding a chair in social media videos during the brawl is being asked to contact police, Albert said.

The fight largely broke down along racial lines in a city with a fraught history of racial violence . Investigators looked into whether there was enough evidence to charge for a hate crime or inciting a riot, but the actions did not meet the criteria, Albert said.

In all, 13 people were detained and questioned for several hours Saturday before being released, the chief said.

"I don't think we're near finished," the chief said. "We have a lot more work to do on this."

"We have hundreds of videos and witness statements at this time and, I would say at this point it is highly likely that more arrests and more individuals will face charges," Albert told CNN's Sara Sidner on Tuesday night.

The victims in the assaults were identified as Damien Pickett, the Black co-captain of the riverboat, and a 16-year-old White boy who had transported Pickett to the dock in a small boat.

Here's what we know about what unfolded at the riverfront dock Saturday and the ongoing investigation.

Fight stemmed from dispute over docking spot

It all began around 7 p.m. Saturday when the Harriott II riverboat - carrying 227 passengers - returned to the waterfront and tried to dock in its designated, reserved spot but found the private boat docked in its space, the chief said.

The Harriottand its passengers waited for around 45 minutes as the captain tried to reach the operators of the boat using PA system and "they were only responded to with obscene gestures, curse words and taunting," Albert said.

Pickett, the co-captain, was then picked up from the riverboat by another vessel and brought to the dock to try to have a conversation with the boat owners and get them to move, Albert said. There, the boat owners confronted the captain in a "very hostile manner," the chief said.

"The co-captain was doing his job," the chief said. "He was simply trying to move the boat in just enough to where the cruise ship couldpark safely in its in its identified location. However, it quickly escalated."

Pickett was "attacked by several members of the private boat," the chief said. The co-captain received treatment at a local hospital later that night, Albert added.

Several crew members of the Harriott II then came to Pickett's defense, according to the chief.

The 16-year-old employee of the smaller vessel that took the co-captain from the Harriott to the dock also ended up getting assaulted by someone from the pontoon boat, Albert said. The teen's mother signed a warrant on one of the individuals who attacked her son, he added.

The Harriott's captain first called police to report a disturbance at 7 p.m., then police received another call at 7:15 p.m. The first officers arrived at the scene 7:18 p.m., according to the police chief.

The fight was "brought on by reckless individuals who did not use good judgment and caused an event that certainly was avoidable," Reed said during Tuesday's news conference. "That said, the police department reacted very swiftly and very intentionally to address the matter, as did other citizens in the community."

Asked Wednesday about others who joined the brawl, Reed said, "We would have preferred obviously that maybe they break it up," but he understood emotions were running high.

"It's easy to Monday-morning quarterback the situation when you're not in it, but I certainly understand those who took the notion to try to defend ... someone they thought was being mistreated."

Investigators looked into hate crime charges

The police chief said local investigators worked with the FBI to examine whether to file hate crime charges in this case.

"We were unable to present any inciting a riot or racially biased charges at this time," Albert said at the news conference - a sentiment Reed echoed to on CNN Wednesday morning, adding authorities continue to ask for witnesses to share video or audio evidence with investigators.

"I think it's important for us to understand that there was a young White dock worker or someone who worked on the boat who also tried to help and who was attacked as well," said Reed, Montgomery's first Black mayor.

The chief told CNN the police department had spent hours investigating what happened to ensure that they get it right.

"Knowing Montgomery's history, knowing all the civil rights things that we went through here in the city of Montgomery and what the means to the nation, we were very amped-up to get this right," Albert told CNN.

As the video of the brawl went viral online, it turned the spotlight on Montgomery's racial history . The city played a central role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade and enslaved people would arrive on Montgomery's riverfront to later be sold in the city's slave markets.

"As new developments come forward, we will amend charges as necessary ... If it rises to the level of hate crimes, if it rises to the level of inciting a riot, or whatever that looks like ... we will do just that," Albert told CNN's Sara Sidner on Tuesday night.

Brawl was caught on video

The incident was captured in now viral social media video , showing it escalating from the initial interaction with the co-captain and then eventually turn into a large melee and police responding to break up the altercation.

The footage shows a shirtless White man charged and shoved the Harriott's employee, who flung his hat into the air. The shirtless man then threw several punches at him, and a group of several other White people knocked the worker to the ground and started hitting him, the footage shows.

At one point, a young White male wearing a life jacket came over to the scene and was struck by one of the shirtless White men, the video shows.

The fight escalated further, with other groups of people entering the fray, and a person aboard the boat jumped into the water and swam toward the fight, the video shows.

After a short break in the action, the Harriott II pulled in to the dock anda second round of fights began, the footage shows.

As the fighting continued, a Black man could be seen hitting two other people with a folding chair before he was detained by police, the footage shows. Another person could be seen going from the dock into the water, according to the video.

Witness Christa Owen, who was on the Harriott II with her family, described feeling like a "forced spectator" as she watched the co-captain get attacked from the boat. She said she filmed video of the confrontation and showed it to a police officer after disembarking.

"It was a very helpless feeling. I know how helpless that man must have felt," she told CNN's Sara Sidner on Tuesday night.

Owen said the co-captain was just doing his job and "trying to get us to dock so that we could leave the boat and enjoy the rest of our evening."

"The men on the pontoon boat did not listen to the captain's request over and over again and this guy was saving our night. So when he was assaulted, it was just mind-blowing - unnecessary attack," Owen said.

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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Man accuses riverboat co-captain of assault during Alabama riverfront brawl

The Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A Black riverboat co-captain at the center of an Alabama riverfront brawl that drew national attention has been accused of misdemeanor assault in the melee by one of the white boaters charged in the fight.

Court records show one of the white men accused of assaulting the co-captain during the August brawl filed a complaint last month saying the co-captain hit him first during the chaotic melee. The co-captain faces a charge of misdemeanor assault, according to court records.

"I was not trying to fight," the man wrote in a statement. The complaint was filed Oct. 26 ahead of the man's Nov. 16 trial on a misdemeanor assault charge of hitting and kicking the riverboat co-captain.

The August riverfront melee in Montgomery drew national attention after bystanders filmed white boaters hitting a Black riverboat co-captain and others rushing to his defense. Video of the fight was shared widely online, sparking countless memes and parodies.

Montgomery police said the brawl began when the white boaters refused to move their pontoon boat so the city-owned Harriott II riverboat could dock in its designated space. The boat's co-captain said he was attacked after moving the pontoon boat a few feet to make way for the riverboat.

Five other people were previously charged in the brawl. Two white boaters previously pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor assault or harassment. Three other people, including a Black man who was filmed swinging a folding chair, have upcoming court dates.

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Two punished for roles in wild alabama riverboat brawl sparked by attack on captain.

Two participants in the Alabama boat-dock brawl that went viral around the globe this past summer have been sentenced — one to jail and the other to anger-management classes.

Richard Roberts, 48 who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault rap for his role in the violent fracas, was ordered to serve 32 days behind bars along with 100 hours of community service. He will also have to pay court costs.

Mary Todd, 21, copped to a misdemeanor harassment charge and will enroll in anger-management courses as part of a plea deal. She will also be on the hook for court costs related to her case.

Three additional defendants — Allen Todd, 24, Zachary Shipman, 26, and Reggie Ray, 42 — have yet to resolve their cases.

Todd and Shipman were hit with third-degree assault charges, while Ray — who used a folding chair during the fight — faces a disorderly conduct rap.

The melee was sparked when a tourist riverboat carrying 227 passengers was unable to dock in August because a private pontoon boat was parked in its space, Montgomery cops said at the time.

The riverboat’s co-captain, Damien Pickett, asked over a public-address system for the occupants of the pontoon boat to move but was blown off with profanity and obscene gestures.

Pickett was then ferried to the dock in an attempt to speak to the pontoon boat’s passengers in person and was attacked after further words were exchanged.

Several of Pickett’s co-workers on the riverboat jumped to his defense as stunned onlookers watched the brawl deteriorate, with bystanders joining the fray.

A witness told police that the occupants of the pontoon boat used racial slurs during the assault against Pickett, who is black.

But prosecutors declined to hit the assailants with hate-crime raps, and Pickett himself told investigators that he didn’t believe race played a role in the incident.

A white teen dock worker who accompanied Pickett during his attempt to speak to the boat’s passengers was also beaten, officials noted.

“It’s important for us to understand that there was a young white dock worker or someone who worked on the boat who also tried to help and who was attacked as well,” Montgomery mayor Steven Reed said after the footage went viral.

The city’s police chief, who is black, said the case was thoroughly vetted.

“Knowing Montgomery’s history, knowing all the civil-rights things that we went through here in the city of Montgomery and what the means to the nation, we were very amped-up to get this right,” Chief Darryl Albert said.

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Man, woman turn themselves in to face charges in Alabama riverside brawl

Updated on: August 11, 2023 / 6:24 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Police in Alabama said Thursday that a fourth person has been arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with a riverside brawl that drew national attention, and an attorney confirmed a fifth arrest, also for a misdemeanor, on Friday.

Major Saba Coleman of the Montgomery Police Department said 21-year-old Mary Todd turned herself in to be arrested. She is the fourth person charged with assaulting a Black riverboat crew co-captain in a riverside brawl in Alabama's capital city.

The melee, where sides largely broke down along racial lines, began Saturday evening when a moored pontoon boat blocked the city-owned Harriott II riverboat from docking in its designated space along the riverfront so more than 200 passengers could disembark.

The riverboat co-captain took another vessel to shore to move the pontoon boat and was attacked by several white people from the private boat, police said. Video showed him being punched and shoved. Riverboat crew members later confronted the pontoon boat party, and more fighting broke out, police said.

A man allegedly seen wielding a folding chair in the brawl, Reggie Ray, 42, turned himself in Friday on a count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, his attorney, Lee Merritt said.

"Mr. Ray was involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob," Merritt said in a statement. "Mr. Ray will continue to participate with the ongoing investigation concerning the same and is committed to be forthcoming about his limited role in the brawl."

Video of the brawl circulated on social media and put a national spotlight on Alabama's capital city.

Christa Owens recorded the tense moments that transpired when a disagreement began over docking space.

Owens, who was aboard the Harriott II Riverboat, said the boat had just completed a dinner cruise and was attempting to dock, only to find a small pontoon boat occupying the designated spot. 

"There were a few guys and a couple of women that were getting off of the boat and seemingly ignoring the captain's request to move," she said. 

A riverboat crew member stepped in and managed to move the pontoon boat several feet, clearing the way for the riverboat to dock, but was then confronted, which quickly led to a physical altercation between the riverboat worker and an irate, shirtless man.  

Owens said the crew member was simply trying to maintain order. 

Mayor Steven Reed of Montgomery  said in a statement  that police swiftly apprehended "multiple reckless individuals involved in attacking a man who was carrying out his job." 

"This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community. Those who choose violence will be held accountable by our criminal justice system," Reed said.

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Man recorded wielding folding chair in Alabama riverfront brawl pleads guilty to misdemeanor

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A man recorded swinging a folding chair during an Alabama  riverfront brawl  this summer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge Monday.

The guilty plea resolved the last of the charges brought in connection with the brawl. The man was ordered to perform community service and given a suspended sentence.

The August riverfront melee in Montgomery drew  national attention  after bystanders recorded white boaters hitting a Black riverboat co-captain and then Black crew members and bystanders rushing to his defense. Video of the fight was shared widely online, sparking countless memes and parodies. Many of those  memes  focused on the folding chair swung by the Black man who pleaded guilty Monday.

Montgomery police said the brawl began when the white boaters refused to move their pontoon boat so the city-owned Harriott II riverboat could dock in its designated space. The boat’s co-captain said he was attacked after moving the pontoon boat a few feet to make way for the riverboat.

Four white boaters were charged in connection with the fight and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges ranging from harassment to assault.

CORRECTION (Dec. 12, 2023, 5:05 p.m. ET): A photo caption in a previous version of this article misstated when the brawl occurred. It was Aug. 5, not Saturday.

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• 1,500 sqft 1,500 square feet
• 6 acre lot 6 acre lot

475 River Dr, Centreville, AL 35042

Single family

Open houses

Property details.

Wow! Great location close to all amenities you need including a 19 whole golf course and less than 10 minutes to a major hospital. But when your at the property you feel secluded like your in your own world with not a neighbor in site just looking over the sites and sounds of being on the Cahaba Riv er with 475 ft of beautiful water frontage and 6 acres of land. Includes a private gate at the entrance with a fully inclosed 40x40 shop with a full bathroom in it with a 30x30 open carport. It also features 2 different RV hook ups complete with power and sewage for all the friends and family wanting to come help enjoy the new lake house. It could also be an incredible investment opportunity with huge AirBnB potential. Show less

Property features

• Bedrooms: 2
• Total Bathrooms: 3 / 0
• Full Bathrooms: 3

Interior Features

• Recess Lighting
• Split Bedroom
• Interior Amenities: Separate Shower, Separate Vanities, Split Bedrooms, Tub/Shower Combo, Walk-In Closets
• Ceilings: 9 Feet +, Smooth Ceilings
• Flooring: Hardwood, Tile Floor
• Convection Oven
• Cooktop-Electric
• Dishwasher Built-In
• Ice Maker Built-In
• Microwave Built-In
• Oven-Electric
• Refrigerator
• Some Stainless Appl
• Stove-Electric
• Laundry Features: Washer Hookup, Laundry Space: Room, Laundry Dryer Hookup: Dryer-Electric, Laundry Location: Laundry (MLVL)

Kitchen and Dining

• Kitchen Countertops: Stone (KIT)

Other Rooms

• Master Bedroom Level: 1
• Master Bath Level: 1
• Kitchen Level: 1
• Bedroom Level: 1
• Bonus Level: 1
• Living/Dining Level: 1
• Laundry Level: 1

Heating and Cooling

• Cooling Features: Central
• Heating Features: Central
• Water Heaters: Electric (WTRHTR)

Exterior and Lot Features

• Boat House Private
• Storage Building
• Patio And Porch Features: Patio: Covered - , Decks: Yes, Patio: Yes, Decks: Covered

Waterfront and Water Access

• CAHABA RIVER
• Waterfront Feet: 475

Garage and Parking

• Carport Spaces: 4
• Garage Spaces: 4
• Garage Description: Boat Parking, Circular Drive, Detached, Driveway Parking, Off Street Parking, On Street Parking, Parking , RV Parking, Unassigned Parking, Uncovered Parking
• Garage Features: # Garage Spaces Main Lvl: 4
• Lot Size Acres: 6.0
• Lot Size Square Feet: 261360

Home Features

• View: Lake/Water View, Mountain View

Homeowners Association

• Association: No
• Calculated Total Monthly Association Fees: 0

School Information

• Elementary School: CENTREVILLE
• High School: BIBB COUNTY
• Middle School: CENTREVILLE

Other Property Info

• Source Listing Status: Active
• County: Bibb
• Directions: From Calera take hwy 25 towards Centreville. turn right onto River Dr. House will be on your left. Sign in yard
• Source Property Type: RESIDENTIAL
• Area: Bibb County
• Source Neighborhood: Bibb County
• Flood Plain: No
• Property Subtype: Single Family
• Source System Name: C2C

Building and Construction

• Total Square Feet Living: 1500
• Year Built: 2022
• Attic: Attic: Yes, Attic: Pull-Down
• Construction Materials: Wood
• Foundation Details: Crawl Space
• Living Area Source: Per Tax Report
• Property Age: 2
• Levels or Stories: 1-Story
• Total Area Main: 1500
• Year Built Details: Existing
• Sewer: Connected
• Water Source: Public Water

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Nearby neighborhoods in Centreville , AL

• Sand Ridge Median listing: $358,825
• Belview Heights Median listing: $134,900
• West End Manor Median listing: $79,400
• Green Acres Median listing: $84,500

Environmental risk

School information from listing agent

• Elementary School : CENTREVILLE
• High School : BIBB COUNTY
• Middle School : CENTREVILLE

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Centreville market trends.

A city in Bibb, AL

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Learn more about 475 River Dr

• Listed by BRIAN THOMAS

• Brokered by RE MAX Advantage South
• (205) 991-1500

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475 River Dr, Centreville, AL 35042 is a single family home for sale listed on the market for 1 Day. The schools near 475 River Dr, include Bibb Co High School , Cahawba Christian Academy and Centreville Elementary School .

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