Multiple Arrests Made in the Aftermath of Montgomery Riverfront Brawl

A Mongomery riverfront brawl shook up social media over the weekend. On Saturday night (August 5), multiple people were arrested on the riverfront dock of Alabama’s capital city after a group of white boaters assaulted a Black dock worker. The incident was recorded by nearby boaters, who captured a Black man swimming to the dock worker’s aid, and more Black people joining in to confront the white boaters. A short time later, an all-out fight on the dock occurred, with one boater being tossed into the water and two others being hit with a folding chair.

“Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said in a statement released on Sunday (August 6). “Warrants have been signed and justice will be served. This was 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 violence will be held accountable by our criminal justice system.”

Although the MPD hasn’t yet released the names of those who were arrested, one of the boaters identified himself as Chase Shipman, owner of Vasser’s Mini Mart in Selma. Shipman claims that he wasn’t involved in the melee, but instead wanted it to stop, despite video evidence showing him punching the dock worker repeatedly while he was on the ground. As Vasser’s Mini Mart continued to be exposed online, the store took its presence off the internet, and listed its location as permanently closed on Google.

It’s safe to say that Black Twitter delighted in the Black boaters defending themselves, as some even volunteered to contribute to the legal fees of those who were arrested. Check out more reactions below.