Remaining Montgomery brawl suspects turn themselves in to police

The remaining two men charged in the Montgomery, Ala., riverfront brawl have turned themselves in to police, a spokesperson for the Montgomery Police Department said on Wednesday night.

Allen Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25, turned themselves in to police on Wednesday after having failed to do so following a press conference on the brawl Tuesday afternoon.

Police issued arrest warrants for both men, along with 48-year-old Richard Roberts, for third-degree assault over the riverfront brawl.

Roberts was already in custody at the time of the press conference on Tuesday, after which Todd and Shipman were initially expected to turn themselves in.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed (D) said Wednesday morning that the two men “did not honor their agreement to surrender to authorities,” adding that the Montgomery Police Department “will do what it takes to bring them to justice.”

The three white pontoon boaters allegedly attacked a Black riverboat captain over a docking dispute Saturday on the Alabama River. The fight turned into a chaotic brawl, largely divided along racial lines, as bystanders and passengers on the riverboat cruise came to the captain’s defense.

The brawl — which has garnered national attention as videos and memes of the incident have been shared widely on social media — was the result of a dispute between the co-captain of the Harriott II riverboat and the owner of a private pontoon boat that was parked in the riverboat’s designated space.

After the Harriott’s co-captain, Damien Pickett, unsuccessfully attempted to get the pontoon boat to move out of the space using the riverboat’s PA system, he was transported to the pier by a 16-year-old white teenager in a smaller boat to manually move it. Pickett and the teenager were then allegedly attacked by the members of the pontoon boat group on the pier. 

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said at Tuesday’s press conference that the investigation into the brawl is ongoing and additional charges are likely, adding that police are asking a Black man who was seen wielding a folding chair to come in for further questioning.

However, Albert noted that the incident does not appear to meet the criteria for hate crime or riot charges.

— Updated 11:06 p.m.