5 people have pleaded not guilty to Montgomery riverfront brawl charges

Two defendants appeared in court on Friday

Sep 3, 2023

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Five people charged in an Alabama riverfront brawl that drew national attention as white boaters fought with Black riverboat crew members have pleaded not guilty to assault and disorderly conduct charges.

Four white boaters, who police said were filmed hitting or shoving a Black riverboat captain in Montgomery, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges.

A Black man, who police said was filmed swinging a folding chair and hitting people in the subsequent melee, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.

From left to right: Richard Roberts, Mary Todd, Allen Todd, Zachary Shipman and Reggie Ray.(Source: Montgomery Police Department via WSFA-TV)

Montgomery Municipal Court records show the not guilty pleas were entered last week. Mary Todd and Richard Roberts, two of the suspects charged with assault, appeared in court Friday, WSFA-TV reported.

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Assault charges were also brought against Zachary Shipman and Allen Todd. Reggie Ray, seen in the video swinging a folding chair, was charged with disorderly conduct.

Videos of the brawl were widely shared on social media and spawned a multitude of memes, jokes, parodies, reenactments and even T-shirts.

Richard White, a lawyer representing one of the white boaters, told WSFA that he wants to make sure his client is treated fairly given the national attention.

“My client is innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “The media shouldn’t dictate outcomes or put pressure on any agency to decide guilt that should be done.”

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White said he is hopes that all evidence, including video recordings, will be turned over.

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert told reporters last month that the brawl began when the owner of a pontoon boat refused to move from a docking spot designated for the city-owned Harriott II riverboat.

The riverboat co-captain took a smaller vessel to shore to move the pontoon boat so the Harriott II could dock and let its 200 or so passengers disembark.

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