28 October 2023 , 00:09
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A woman was sentenced to anger management classes in relation to the brawl that occurred at a riverfront dock in Montgomery, Alabama, in August this year.
The altercation unfolded on August 5 when the co-captain of the Harriott II cruise ship, Damien Pickett, attempted to dock but found a private boat occupying the reserved spot. Efforts to communicate were met with obscenities and taunts, leading to a violent confrontation.
Witnesses reported hearing racist slurs during the incident, underscoring the racially charged nature of the conflict. Although both the Black co-captain and a White teen trying to assist him were assaulted, the police were unable to establish hate crime charges at the time. The investigation, however, remains ongoing.
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Mary Todd got sentenced to anger management classes as part of a plea deal (wsfa)Mary Todd, 21, the only defendant to plead guilty, was sentenced to anger management classes as part of a prearranged plea agreement. Meanwhile, Allen Todd, 24, Reggie Ray, 42, and Zachary Shipman, 26, had their cases continued. Richard Roberts, 48, the fifth defendant, is awaiting his day in court.
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Both Todds and Shipment were charged with a count each of third-degree assault, while Roberts was charged with two counts of the same. Ray received a charge for disorderly conduct after reports circulated of him wielding a folding chair. It remains unclear what charges Roberts faces related to the fracas.
Montgomery, a city steeped in a history of racial turmoil, played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement, notably the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. Local authorities, including Montgomery’s first Black mayor, Steven Reed, and Police Chief Darryl Albert, emphasized the importance of handling the investigation accurately and fairly given the city's historical context.
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Mary Todd was the only defendant to plead guilty in the case, with trials pending for the other four charged (Montgomery Police Department)
The brawl allegedly started after a boat parked in the space designated for a cruise ship and refused to leaveRay, the only Black defendant, was reportedly roped into the brawl because of the "white mob" that sparked it around him, Lee Merritt, his attorney, told CNN in a statement after the 42-year-old turned himself into the authorities.
"Mr Ray was involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob," he said. "Mr Ray will continue to participate with the ongoing investigation concerning the same and is committed to being forthcoming about his limited role in the brawl."
The perpetrators were immediately apprehended and charged with assault or disorderly conduct or bothPickett has previously told the authorities he doesn't believe the incident was racially motivated despite testimony from the mother of the 16-year-old white teen who accompanied him to the schooner, who told the authorities that the white men aboard had used racial slurs against Pickett.
Albert and Reed both said they were considering all angles but felt it important to highlight that the white boy who was with Pickett was also attacked alongside him. Both said they are taking the investigation very seriously, however, emphasising that they want to get it right.