BARI, ITALY - JULY 25: The handcuffs of the Civil Protection on July 25, 2023 in Bari, Italy. Latest generation drones used by the Puglia Region as part of the strategy to combat the abandonment of waste on the regional territory. The aircraft, equipped with thermal cameras and capable of operating at a height of 120 meters above the ground, will be operated by personnel from the Puglia Region Environmental Supervision Unit who have obtained the necessary qualifications. (Photo by Donato Fasano/Getty Images)
On Sunday (Aug. 6), Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed reacted to the now-viral group fight at the city’s Riverfront. The mayor released a statement about the Saturday evening brawl that has led to at least four arrest warrants, per WSFA.
“Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job,” Mayor Reed said. “Warrants are being signed, and justice will be served. This is 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 Montgomery Police Department (MPD) is still working to determine precisely what happened. But witnesses claim the group brawl started when a Black male Riverfront employee attempted to get a group of white people, several men and a woman, to move their pontoon boat.
The pontoon was reportedly parked in a spot reserved for the Harriott II Riverboat, which was waiting to dock before the fight broke out. According to video footage, the Black employee spoke to several white men regarding the stationary boat–with several exchanges appearing tense, per the hand movements.
Suddenly, a shirtless white man runs up and punches the employee in the face.
The employee reacts by tossing his cap in the air and preparing to swing back, but the same white man punches him again. The two men start tussling for several seconds before four additional white men run over and start beating the employee.
Initial efforts to de-escalate the fight go unnoticed. When the employee is freed and on his feet, several Black onlookers have arrived to assist. One man jumped off a nearby boat, swam to the dock, and joined another growing group of Black people.
Montgomery PD officers arrived at about 7 p.m. local time, per reports, and began detaining people. However, several onlookers, including dock workers, had joined the incident. After the Riverboat docked, several white people traveling with the pontoon boat crew received pushes, punches, and kicks. At least one person was pushed into the water.
One Black man–now viral for this move–even used a folding chair to smack a white man and white woman above the head. Several officers immediately wrestled him to the ground and arrested him.
It’s unclear if the white man who threw the first punch and the additional white men who jumped the lone Black employee were part of the group police detained.
According to WSFA, there were at least four active warrants as of Sunday (Aug. 6). However, there’s the lingering possibility that MPD will issue additional warrants. It’s unclear what kind of charges, if any, are on the table at this time.
An ongoing investigation includes footage review from the public and the area’s surveillance cameras. MPD is asking witnesses to submit any videos to starcenter@montgomeryal.gov.
Meanwhile, videos from multiple angles and of differing lengths are floating around on social media. On X (formerly Twitter), the Black community, in particular, has been celebrating the alleged display of unity and defense of the dock worker.
Some are even calling it modern Black history. At the same time, others are taking the jokey jokes a step further. One man has even honored the chair used in the fight by putting it on a t-shirt.
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This is a developing story.
