Two men charged in the Alabama riverboat brawl, and seen in viral cellphone footage around the world, turned themselves in to police Wednesday night.
may publish the mugshots of Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Chase Shipman, 25, taken by police in the state capital of Montgomery.
They join Richard William Roberts, 48, who is remanding on third-degree assault warrants for the amazing scenes Saturday afternoon at Riverfront Park in Montgomery.
Cellphone footage showed black co-captain Damien Pickett, 31, urging white boaters to move their pontoon ship a few feet to allow the cruise ship Harriott II to dock at its usual berth on the Alabama River.
But then viral cell phone footage taken by some of the 227 passengers on the riverboat showed Pickett being attacked by one of the shirtless boaters – and the scene escalated into violent chaos, leading to the arrest of 13 people.
is able to reveal the mug shots of Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Chase Shipman, 25, two men charged in the Alabama riverboat brawl, who were seen around the world in viral cellphone footage they gave police officers Wednesday night had handed over
Todd and Shipman face assault charges along with 48-year-old Richard Roberts, who is accused by the boy’s mother of hitting 16-year-old Daniel Warren. Police said the investigation was still ongoing.
A woman at the Alabama riverfront brawl said she heard one of the attackers say “F**k that n*****” before starting a fight with the black sailor who was at the center of the shocking incident.
Witness Crystal Warren told police she watched the entire interaction and revealed she heard one of the white attackers threaten to get a gun, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
Warren, a riverboat employee, said both the racial slur and the threat were shouted by a man who had seen deckhand Damien Pickett moving the boats blocking the dock.
The woman also said she noticed Pickett asking the men to move their boat, which provoked middle fingers and swearing responses from the white men.
In addition, Warren said her son Daniel was seen in one of the videos trying to drag the attackers away and suffered bruised ribs after being punched in the chest.
In the documents, Warren reportedly told officers that the unidentified perpetrator who used the racial slur dropped the N-word after the deckhand moved smaller boats.
Pickett was forced to move several of the watercraft parked at the marina to an area designated for riverboat docking.
Todd and Shipman are facing assault charges along with 48-year-old Richard Roberts (pictured) – who is accused by the boy’s mother of hitting 16-year-old Daniel Warren. Police said the investigation was still ongoing
A woman at the Alabama riverfront brawl said she heard a white attacker say “F**k that n*****” to the black sailor at the center of the shocking incident
In all, Warren said she had to wait 17 minutes on the riverboat before another commercial watercraft came and took her off the boat.
They were eventually dropped off at the dock where the brawl took place.
At one point, Warren said one of the white men involved in the brawl threatened to run away and get a gun as the incident progressed.
Video of the incident shows a man punching Daniel in the chest as he tries to break up the group of men who are attacking Pickett while others look on.
Daniel was eventually taken to the hospital for his injuries.
It’s currently unclear who allegedly used the N-word and threatened to get a gun.
The shocking brawl was caught on video from multiple angles and posted on social media
Police Chief Darryl Albert said Tuesday that 13 people were arrested at the scene
The fight began after Damien Pickett, the black deckhand, moved the boats that were parked in the spot on the dock specially reserved for river cruising
In an interview with The Daily Beast, river cruise captain Jim Kittrell said the whites must have attacked Pickett because of his race.
“The white people who attacked my deckhand – and he was a senior deckhand – I can’t think of any other reason why they attacked him other than that he was racially motivated,” Kittrell said.
“All he did was move their boat a meter higher. “There’s no point in six people trying to beat you out just because you moved your boat up a few feet,” he said.
“In my opinion, the attack on Damien was racially motivated,” Kittrell explained, adding that the rest of the fight “wasn’t black and white.”
The captain added that his crew would have stood up for Pickett against anyone who is reportedly in their 40s and is diabetic with high blood pressure.
Kittrell – and police – say it all started when a private boat owner and his family took over the designated dock for the Harriott, a tourist boat that carries passengers up and down the Alabama River.
Police Chief Darryl Albert said Tuesday that 13 people were arrested at the scene.
Jim Kittrell, the captain of the Harriott II, has claimed the attack on Montgomery’s Riverfront Park was racially motivated
Three suspects – all white males – have been charged with assault: Richard Roberts, 48, Alan Todd, 23, and Zachary Shipman, 25 (far left)
Police have also asked to speak to Reggie Gray, the black man who was seen throwing a folding chair. He wasn’t charged.
Video of the brawl showed the moment a black man hit a white boater with a chair during the chaotic and now infamous brawl.
The brawl at Riverfront Park in Montgomery went viral, with images from different angles of Saturday’s violent altercation shared on social media.
The incident also sparked memes and hilarious videos that roiled social media over the weekend with mockups and other jokes.
One of the most watched was a hilarious take on hand-to-hand combat in the style of comic book combat, where the main actors were satirized as characters.
While some downplayed the obvious racial differences in the skirmish, others opted to recreate the brawl – with one group visiting the site itself to catch a glimpse of the chair used in the brawl.
The scenes quickly turn bitter as the pair exchange punches before another white man in red shorts throws the black man to the ground before several others join the fight.
Some appear to be trying to end the fight, while others throw punches as well.
The tossing of the hat invites the shirtless man to hit him on the head, leading to ugly scenes
A man in red shorts rushes in and throws the black guy to the ground while others come over
The altercation is currently being investigated by local police while they go through several videos provided by the public
A man is seen hitting another man in the head with a chair as he tries to escape
The same man is later seen beating a woman’s head in with a chair while she is sitting on the floor
Those on board the riverboat scream in horror as the man is frequently beaten before others step in to help.
A man is even seen swimming across from the other side of the river to join the riot.
In separate footage, a group of men and riverboat workers then arrive at the dock and a full-fledged brawl ensues.
At one point, a white woman is thrown into the water with her attacker, goaded by those filming the fight.
Another woman is also hit over the head with a chair while two men exchange blows to the head before one slashes the other’s eye.
The worker who was attacked first by the group of men is seen here being led away by several women who also appear to have been working on the boat
The worker had been aboard the Harriot II riverboat in Montgomery, Alabama, when he decided to untie a boat that was blocking them from docking
Pictures shared on social media after the fight show a woman with her hands behind her back being led away from the Alabama riverbank by a police officer
Images shared on social media after the fight show men and women handcuffed on the promenade. Montgomery Police said there have been multiple arrests
A cheering crowd expresses a mixture of horror and delight at the disturbing scenes unfolding before them.
In another angle of the brawl, the announcer aboard the riverboat is heard saying, “Please check the boys in the water, two boys are in the water behind the dock.” Make sure nobody drowns.
He then hilariously quips, “FYI, don’t fuck with the riverboat crew anymore.”
Photos shared on social media appear to show a group of white men sitting handcuffed on the promenade after the riot, with others being led away from the scene by officers.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said, “Montgomery Police acted quickly and arrested several reckless individuals for assaulting a man doing his job.”
“Arrest warrants will be signed and justice will be served.” This was an unfortunate incident that should never have happened.
“While our police force is investigating these intolerable acts, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community.”
“Those who choose violent acts will be held accountable by our criminal justice system.”