Source: Julie Bennett / Getty
Welp, three of the white men who started the brawl that ended in them getting the MAGA snot beat out of them in Montgomery, Alabama, have finally been charged with crimes.
According to Al.com, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert confirmed that 13 people were taken into custody for questioning after Saturday’s brawl on the Riverfront Park doc, and all of them were released pending further investigation. He also confirmed that on Tuesday, arrest warrants were issued for Richard Roberts, 48, who is charged with two counts of third-degree assault; Allen Todd, 23, who is charged with one count of third-degree assault, and Zachery “Chase” Shipman, 25, also charged with one count of third-degree assault. All of the charges are misdemeanors and all three men are in custody as of Wednesday.
Police are also seeking for questioning 42-year-old Reggie Gray, who Albert identified as the Black hero—sorry, I mean, the Black man who was caught on video wielding the chair that has since become an iconic symbol for Black people across the nation. (Nah, seriously, it should become our official flag.) It’s unclear if Gray is to be arrested and charged for his part in the fight.
One thing is clear, though:
WE AIN’T SEEN THAT MAN!
Police might as well not even bother coming around Black folks looking for Reggie. We don’t know him, we haven’t seen him, and whatever photo cops show us of Gray doesn’t even look like the same guy in the video. What, y’all still think all Black people look alike? Listen: As far as we know Reggie Gray is somewhere in Cuba sipping on piña coladas with Assata Shakur and Tupac.
Anyway, Albert also provided more insight as to how the brawl began.
From Al.com:
As the riverboat was preparing to dock, they noticed the private pontoon boat blocking the area, Albert said.
The captain used a public address system to try to find the pontoon’s occupants and was met with obscene gestures and curse words, Albert said.
Christa Owen of Clanton was aboard the riverboat with her husband and their daughter for a dinner cruise to celebrate the daughter’s 12th birthday, according to The Associated Press.Owen said the riverboat captain said on loudspeaker: “Black pontoon boat, move your boat,” and that passengers also yelled for the boat to move so they could dock.“They shrugged their shoulders,” Owen said.Co-captain Damien Pickett was taken by a smaller boat – driven by a 16-year-old white male – to the dock to try to address the situation.Owen said the tension was obvious and mounting before punches were thrown.That’s when a confrontation ensued between Pickett and some of the pontoon boat occupants as seen on multiple videos posted on social media. Both Pickett and the 16-year-old boy were struck during incident, and are the victims in the assault cases.
Fun fact: The riverboat that was trying to dock, Harriott II, was reportedly carrying exactly 227 passengers at the time of the incident. This brings to mind the iconic lyrics in the theme song of the classic Black sitcom 227: “With your family around you, you’re never alone.”
Damien Pickett was never alone.
SEE ALSO:
Montgomery Riverboat Brawl: A Cathartic Comedy Of Justice For Black America
