According to Good Morning America, the worker, Dameion Pickett, spoke exclusively to the news program about his experience. He told co-anchor Robin Roberts that he was “just doing my job” and was “in shock” when he was assaulted.

“I didn’t expect this to happen at work today,” Pickett told Roberts. “I was just expecting another peaceful, nice cruise.”

Pickett shared details about what occurred leading up to the attack. He explained that while the riverboat he was working on, the Harriett II, was wrapping up a dinner cruise, a private pontoon boat illegally parked in its place, which barred Harriett II from docking safely.

“We could have docked, but we would end up hitting a couple of those boats and be responsible for it,” Pickett said.

Pickett said that crew members asked the owner of the pontoon boat to move it, but they ignored their request.

He recounted, “Everybody was yelling, ‘Could y’all move y’all boat?'”

After that, Pickett said he was instructed to get off the riverboat and move the pontoon boat himself.

“Really just moved it about one, two, four — four steps to the right, that’s it,” he told GMA.

He added that he was “just doing my job. … After we dock, we don’t mind y’all staying there but not at this time while we’re trying to dock.”

Videos show that shortly after, Pickett was confronted and punched by a man. Others joined the attack, and they were later identified by authorities as the boat owner and his family.

Pickett told Roberts that after he was attacked, he felt the need to defend himself.

“This man just put his hand on me. I was, like … it’s my job, but I’m still defending myself at the same time. So when he touched me, I was, like, ‘It’s on,'” Pickett said.

Other clips of the incident show Black eyewitnesses come to Pickett’s defense against his all-white attackers. One viral video showed a teenager, later identified as Aaren Hamilton-Rudolph, swimming to the dock to help Pickett and his supporters. He told GMA that many bystanders were capturing the situation, rather than helping to stop it.

“Everybody was just recording. No one helped,” Hamilton-Rudolph said. “So I couldn’t just watch and sit around and just let him get beat on while everybody else is just recording and watching.”

Pickett’s coworker and friend Roshein “RahRah” Carlton also rushed to his side during the attack.

Pickett said that “some nasty words” were said to him during the attack. Carlton said he heard “a lot of racial slurs” being used by the white attackers.

 

The Montgomery Police Department has been investigating the incident. The four white attackers all received misdemeanor assault charges. They are all out on bond and will appear in court this week.

Watch the Good Morning America interview below: