On August 5, 2023, a large-scale altercation took place at the riverfront dock in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. The incident gained significant media attention due to its violent nature, the racial undertones, and Montgomery's racially charged history.[1]
On August 5, 2023, around 7:00 p.m., the city-owned riverboat Harriott II, carrying 227 passengers, was returning to its designated docking space at Riverfront Park on the Alabama River in Montgomery, Alabama, following a cruise.[2][3] In an interview with CNN, a man identified as the captain of the Harriott II, stated the vessel had just completed the "5 to 7" cruise.[4][1] The riverboat's attempt to dock was obstructed by a privately owned pontoon boat that was moored in the Harriott II's usual spot, preventing the larger vessel from aligning its exit ramp with the dock.
While some initial reports noted an absence of signs specifically marking the space as reserved for the Harriott II, Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert later stated that the dock space is widely known to be for the riverboat.[5]
For a period of about 40 to 45 minutes, the crew of the Harriott II made multiple attempts to contact the operators of the pontoon boat, requesting that they move their vessel. These attempts included announcements made over the Harriott II's public address system. According to the Harriott II's captain, Jim Kittrell, and a subsequent police statement by the riverboat's co-captain, Dameion Pickett, the occupants of the pontoon boat were either unresponsive or replied with dismissive and obscene gestures, such as "flipping off" the riverboat crew. This extended period of non-cooperation from the pontoon boaters contributed to escalating tension among the passengers and crew aboard the Harriott II, who were waiting to disembark.[6]
Following the unsuccessful communication attempts, Dameion Pickett, the black co-captain of the Harriott II, and a 16-year-old white male deckhand, were transported from the riverboat to the dock to address the obstruction.[7] Pickett, with assistance from the deckhand, untied the pontoon boat. In his written statement to the police, Pickett reported that he moved the pontoon boat "three steps to the right" to create the necessary space for the Harriott II to dock. They were then confronted by the boat owners.[8]
Video of the incident shows individuals arguing with the co-captain. A short time later, he was assaulted by a white man, who shouted at him not to touch the boat. The two then began to fight, with another white man joining to attack the co-captain. Video shows that multiple individuals, white and black, attempted to break up the initial assault. A white woman from the private boat attempted to pull the attackers off the co-captain. A black man intervened to hold people off and another man held the co-captain back as multiple people pacified the original attacker. The 16-year-old white dock worker who had driven the co-captain to the dock was punched by one of the attackers after he attempted to pull attackers off of the co-captain.[9] The initial assault was broken up in less than a minute.
Arguments and fights with Harriott II workers continued. A black teenager was filmed swimming across the river to the dock. He arrived at the dock after the initial assault was defused. Moments later, he fought with two white men and pushed a white woman.[10]
When the Harriott II docked, crew members disembarked and confronted the initial assailants, which led to another altercation.[11] The co-captain's sister was involved with this new fight and the co-captain "grabbed her and moved her".[8] At the Harriott II, bystanders and individuals connected to the initial assault begin arguing and punching each other. A black man used a folding chair to hit a white man and a white woman who had been punched and knocked down by multiple black women.[12][13] Some white people were thrown into the river. Police were contacted at 7:00 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m., arriving at the scene around 7:18 p.m.[3]
The predominant racial lines of the fighting led to allegations that the assailants were racially motivated in their attack.
13 individuals involved in the brawl—including the co-captain who was hit by a police taser—were detained, questioned, and subsequently released. Montgomery Police Chief Darryl J. Albert confirmed arrest warrants for three men involved in the incident.[1]
Arrest warrants were then expanded to another woman and a man hitting people with a chair. All five surrendered at the police station the following week.[14][15]
The investigation was intensified due to the racial implications surrounding the fight. While the altercation mainly occurred along racial lines, preliminary investigations did not find sufficient evidence for hate crime charges. However, the incident has revived discussions around Montgomery's history, especially given the city's pivotal role in the slave trade in the United States and the Montgomery bus boycott during the civil rights movement.[1]
Public reaction and media coverage
The video of the brawl quickly went viral, drawing international attention and sparking discussions on race relations in Montgomery.
Mayor Steven Reed condemned the brawl, describing the instigators as "reckless individuals" and commending the swift response of the police department and community members.[1]
Writing for the Montgomery Advertiser, journalist Shannon Heupel detailed positive reactions to the co-captain. A 16-year-old Black male wearing a blue "crew" shirt, identified publicly as "Aaren", was nicknamed "Black Aquaman" or "Aquamane" after he dove off Harriott II to defend the co-captain. His actions were also praised.[16]
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