Authorities said several people were arrested Saturday after a group of white boaters attacked a black worker on a riverfront in Montgomery, Alabama. Other passers-by joined the man’s defense, leading to a scuffle.
The fight appears to have started after the dockworker confronted a group of boaters who refused to move their docked pontoon to allow a riverboat to park, according to videos posted to social media.
The incident happened late afternoon in downtown Montgomery, near a spot on the dock regularly reserved for police Riverboat Harriott IIMontgomery’s city-owned boat that makes short trips up and down the Alabama River. Alabama Political Reporter reported.
Mayor Steven L. Reed appeared to confirm the story in a statement released Sunday about the incident.
“Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted quickly and arrested several reckless individuals for assaulting a man doing his job,” Reed said. “Arrest warrants have been signed and justice is being served.”
This was announced by the Montgomery police to the local news station WSFA 12 News that charges are pending and the incident is being investigated as they comb through multiple videos provided by the public and city CCTV.
police told United States today that there are four active warrants outstanding as of Monday morning.
“There is a possibility that as additional videos are reviewed, more will follow,” the Montgomery Police Department told the outlet in a statement.
A woman on a river boat is heard describing the incident a video, That has garnered more than 13 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A black man in a white shirt, who some outlets have identified as a dock worker, is seen near a pontoon boat parked at the dock, trying to move it.
“He got off our ship to go there and move the black pontoon boat by himself because the people who parked there were told not to leave it there and they left it there, so he’s pushing it just go,” says the woman.
The worker is soon confronted by several white men, and they appear to be having a heated argument while people on the boat where the woman is recording the video sing the chorus of Ludacris’ 2002 hit “Move, Bitch.” .
At the 3:27 mark in the video, one of the white men – shirtless and in gray shorts – charges towards the black worker. In response, the worker throws off his hat and prepares to fight while the white man slaps him in the face. As the two argue, another white man – shirtless and wearing red shorts – also begins attacking the worker. When a fight ensues, a few black bystanders join the fight to defend the man.
Other social media video shows a black teenager – who appears to be a colleague of the man attacked – jumping into the water and swimming to the dock to help.
Many people on social media called the teenager “Black Aquaman‘ – and the rest of the black viewers, who defended the worker as ‘the’Black Justice League.”
Makina Lashea, a woman who says she is a publicist for the teen’s family, said in a statement posted Facebook that the swimmer was a 16-year-old boy whom she identified only as Aaren.
“In the face of adversity, Aaren selflessly came to the aid of a colleague, showing courage beyond his years,” Lashea wrote. “We are incredibly proud of what he does and the values he embodies, which inspire us all.”