MONTGOMERY — Three suspects in the brawl at the Montgomery Riverfront on Saturday are charged with assault, with no hate crime or racially related charges filed.
At a Tuesday press conference, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert joined Mayor Steven Reed at the Montgomery City Hall to provide updates on the Saturday melee.
According to Albert, four assault warrants have been filed against three men: Richard Roberts, Alan Todd and Zachary Shipman. Another person is asked to contact the Montgomery Police Department for further questioning.
During the press conference, Albert relayed information on the brawl.
According to Albert, the confrontation began when the Hariott II riverboat attempted to make port at its designated docking station. Upon finding a pontoon boat blocking the dock, the captain tried to get the boat operator to move, and was met only with "obscene gestures, curse words and taunts."
A smaller vessel then picked up the co-captain, who then moved the pontoon boat just enough for the Harriott II to make port. Several individuals then assailed the co-captain.
After the original fight, Albert says other members of the Harriott II "came to the defense" of the co-captain, shown in multiple videos flooding social media.
The details match the account the Harriott II captain gave on Monday.
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"Thirteen individuals were detained and brought to the police station for questioning and interviews," Albert said. "Those interviews lasted for several hours."
The co-captain was the only one treated for injuries at the hospital.
Albert said the victims in the case include the co-captain and a 16-year-old juvenile. One of the three suspects has turned himself over to Selma Police, and the others are scheduled to do the same. The individual still being sought by law enforcement is seen in videos striking someone with a folding chair. However, Albert did not identify if that person was a Harriott II crew member or with the pontoon boat owners.
Many have speculated that the incident was racially motivated since the people on the pontoon boat were white, and the co-captain was black. However, Albert said they did not find evidence to support hate crimes charges or charges of inciting a riot.
"I can tell you we looked at every avenue," Albert said. "There was no stone unturned … at this time, based on the way the statutes are made, the way the laws are crafted, we were unable to consider any inciting a riot or racially biased charges at this time."
Both Albert and Reed expressed that the event should not be taken as a representation of Montgomery as a whole.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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