On Tuesday, the Montgomery Police Department held a press conference where they addressed the Montgomery Riverfront brawl.
Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert shared updates on the legal status of the individuals seen in the viral video.
Chief Albert stated that 13 people were detained, questioned, and then released on the day of the incident. He also said four arrest warrants were issued for the individuals involved.
He said three white men involved in the fight have been arrested and charged. Richard Roberts, 48, is charged with two counts of assault third degree and is in custody. Allen Todd, 23, is charged with assault third-degree. Zachary Shipman, 25, is being charged with assault third-degree.
According to Albert, the remaining two individuals were expected to turn themselves in shortly after the press conference.
WSFA 12 reported that authorities are also requesting to speak with Reggie Gray, who has been identified as the individual in the video that was assaulting others with a folding chair. More charges are expected to come as the investigation is ongoing.
On Monday, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed released a statement regarding authority involvement in the incident.
“We want to make sure that the community is aware that we are fully engaged, and we are doing all of our due diligence to find out exactly what took place,” it read.
While several videos of the incident showing multiple angles have make their rounds across social media, investigators are reviewing clips submitted by the public, along with the City of Montgomery’s video surveillance systems.
As Blavity previously reported, police responded to the scene around 7 p.m. on Sunday. The incident began when private boat owners would not move their boat from blocking a spot where one of the chartered boats was due to dock.
A Black security guard was called to the docks to speak with the white individuals on the private boat after the captain and co-captain attempted to get them to move their boat. Once approached, the individuals on the boat began to surround the lone security guard and then began to assault him.
As the confrontation caused a commotion, several Black men stepped in to assist the security guard in fighting off the white boaters.
A 16-year-old, later identified as “Aaren,” can be seen leaping from the riverboat and swimming to participate in the altercation. The fight intensified as additional people showed up, using their hands and feet to fight off the white group.
A group of Black men showed up at the pontoon boat, and another fight broke out. In the video, one person fell into the water from the dock, and someone hit a white man in the back with a white folding chair.
Police officers are asking that anyone with additional footage submit it to Starcenter@montgomeryal.gov.
