Police name three white men they say sparked appalling mass riverboat brawl
Montgomery police have named three of the white men who they say sparked the violent mass brawl that erupted in Alabama on Saturday night, and grabbed headlines across the world.
The shocking altercation occurred after a private boat owner and his family took the designated docking space for the Harriot, which is a tourist boat that takes passengers up and down the Alabama river, according to Montgomery police.
A Black employee approached the small boat to request its relocation, at which point a white man from the small boat intervened, sparking a heated argument.
Distressing videos, which have been widely shared on social media, have quickly gained millions of views, showcasing the fight. People were being hurled into the water, chairs smashed over heads, and others being brutally beaten while on the ground.
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A picture shows a number of people in handcuffs following the brawlMontgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert confirmed 13 people were detained at the scene and three suspects, all white men, have been charged for assault, including Richard Roberts, 48, Alan Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25.
Cops have asked to speak with Reggie Gray, a black man who was allegedly captured on camera wielding a folding chair and using it to smash people over the head, leading him to be dubbed the 'chair warrior' on social media. He has not been charged.
Police talked to the FBI about filing hate crime charges but declined to do so. However, the investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely, according to the police chief.
Mr Albert said the Harriot's captain waited over 40 minutes as he tried to contact the private boat owners via his PA system. However, the private boat passengers reportedly responded by rude gestures and swear words.
There were 227 passengers aboard the vessel when the incident happened as police have pleaded with the public to send additional videos of the brawl.
Jim Kittrell, the captain of the Harriot II, claimed he and his crew had previews issues with private boat owners after revealing to Alabama's 93.1 radio station on Tuesday, he had been trying to dock the vessel but was unable to do so because the pontoon boat had already taken the designated spot.
As the fight progressed more and more people got involved
Three men have been charged after a massive brawl broke outHe said: "One point I do want to make, this was not a black and white thing. I had every single white crew member male on the boat was on the dock. This was our crew upset about these idiots. This is the same group that comes every year. They're from Selma. And we've had trouble with them in the past, but just like jokey things.
"A couple of years ago, this same group was here. We came back from a cruise and our golf cart was missing … we finally found it in the Hampton Inn lobby. We looked at the Hampton Inn video. Found out who did it and we had them come. We were going to press charges then, but the police talked us out of it."
Police chief Darryl Albert confirmed 13 people were detained at the scene and three suspects, all white men, have been charged with assault (Getty Images)In a police press conference yesterday afternoon, detectives revealed:
- Three people were issued warrants for third-degree assault
- The suspects were named as Richard Roberts, 48, Alan Todd, 23 and Zachary Shipman, 25. All three men are white
- The victims were confirmed as Damien Pickett, who is the co-captain of the Harriott II riverboat, and a 16-year white male
- The incident occurred when the riverboat was unable to dock for around 40 to 45 minutes
- A fourth individual, a 42-year-old black male named Reggie Gray, is alleged to be the individual seen "wielding a folding chair." He has not been charged and police hope to speak to him further
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