'Folding chair man' charged over Alabama riverfront brawl
A man who was dubbed 'folding chair man' following a viral brawl on an Alabama dock has turned himself into cops.
Reggie Ray, the individual seen wielding a folding chair amid the altercation, has been officially charged with disorderly conduct, according to the Montgomery police. He is the fifth person to be charged in relation to the fight.
Ray's surrender and subsequent arrest occurred on Friday evening, and he is currently being held in the municipal jail.
The fight happened on Saturday evening when a moored pontoon boat blocked the Harriott II riverboat from docking in its designated space along the city’s riverfront.
A law enforcement officer tries to restrain the man swinging the chairReggie Ray joins the others charged in connection to the brawl. Mary Todd, 21, handed herself in yesterday (10 August) and has been charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. They join Richard Roberts, 48, Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Shipman, 25, who are also facing misdemeanor assault charges.
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The fight began when a Black riverboat co-captain took another vessel to shore to attempt to move the pontoon boat and was attacked by several white people from the private boat, police said. The shocking video clips, which have since gone viral online, show him being punched and shoved.
Crew members and others later confronted the pontoon boat party, and more fighting broke out. The video showed people being shoved, punched and kicked. At least one person was knocked into the water.
(from left) - Zachery Shipman, Richard Roberts and Allen ToddVideo of the brawl circulated on social media and put a national spotlight on Alabama's capital city. Speaking about the incident, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said: "It was just unnecessary and uncalled for."
The viral video of white boaters assaulting a Black riverboat captain and the following melee brought unwelcome attention to the historic city — which is known across the country for the Montgomery bus boycott in the 1950s and voting rights marches in the 1960s.
The city in recent decades has tried to move beyond its reputation as a site of racial tension and to build a tourism trade instead based on its critical role in the Civil Rights Movement.
Mayor Steven Reed added: “I don’t think you can judge any community by any incident. This is not indicative of who we are." He noted that the people on the pontoon boat were not from Montgomery.
Brawlers sit arrested on the pontoon“It’s important for us to address this as an isolated incident, one that was avoidable and one that was brought on by individuals who chose the wrong path of action,” he said.
Police said that they are currently not pursuing hate crime charges, despite the fight being drawn down racial lines. Montgomery authorities also decided not to pursue riot charges for the group but did say it is likely more individuals will face penalties, and the matter will continue to be investigated.
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