MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: Alabama authorities have reportedly indentified and taken action against three suspects involved in the recent boat brawl that unfolded on Saturday night, August 5, at Montgomery's Riverfront Park. Chief of Police Darryl Albert revealed that the altercation took place when a private boat owner and his family took over the designated docking space for the Harriot II, a well-known tourist vessel plying the waters of the Alabama river.
A total of 13 individuals were apprehended at the scene, but the spotlight fell on three White men who are now facing assault charges: Richard Roberts, 48; Allen Todd, 23; and Zachary Shipman, 25. While one of them is already in custody, the other two are expected to surrender themselves on Tuesday, August 8, per the Daily Mail.
Who are Richard Roberts, Allen Todd and Zachary Shipman?
Roberts, Todd and Shipman were involved in the brawl that took place at Montgomery's Riverfront Park in Alabama. They were charged with assault in connection to the incident. However, amidst the turmoil, another figure emerged, Reggie Gray, who was captured on video attacking with a folding chair. Despite being seen in the midst of the melee, Gray has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
The sequence of events leading to the brawl is just as significant as the incident itself. The captain of the Harriot, patiently awaiting the departure of the private boat occupants, repeatedly attempted to contact them through the vessel's PA system. His attempts were reportedly met with obscenities and gestures. The tipping point arrived when a passenger from the private boat allegedly attacked the riverboat's lead deckhand.
Chief Albert's department spoke to the FBI and decided against pursuing hate crime charges. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities anticipate more charges as they delve deeper into the incident. Astonishingly, there were 227 passengers on board the Harriot when the altercation unfolded.
Chief Albert made a public appeal for additional video footage and evidence related to the brawl, emphasizing on the need for a comprehensive understanding of the event.
'This particular group had caused issues in the past'
Remarkably, this was not the first time the crew of the Harriot and the private boat passengers have had problems before the brawl. Captain Jim Kittrell said on Alabama's 93.1 radio station that the pleasure craft boaters had allegedly even stolen one of the riverboat crew's golf carts on a previous occasion.
Kittrell said, "This was not a black and white thing. I had every single white crew member male on the boat was on the dock. This was our crew upset about these idiots." He further stated, "A couple of years ago, this same group was here. We came back from a cruise and our golf cart was missing … we finally found it in the Hampton Inn lobby. We looked at the Hampton Inn video. Found out who did it and we had them come down. We were going to press charges then, but the police talked us out of it."
Shipman, who owns Vasser's Mini Mart in Selma, initially posted a video claiming he tried to distance himself from the brawl. He stated, "I am sure most of you have seen the news about the riverboat incident. Yes, I was there but I was the first to try to get away. You can see in the video I attached, and I do not condone what happened. I tried to stop it and realized that I could not, so I tried to get away."
Shipman added, "There is a video of me being the first to run away because what was happening was wrong and I did not want to be a part of it. I realize I have a business to run and represent and no charges were filed against me because I was not involved."
