A Montgomery, Ala. brawl has led to multiple arrests, the Montgomery Advertiser reports.
On Saturday (Aug. 5), the Montgomery Police Department stated that four active warrants were out for the arrests of men who took part in a massive brawl. A viral clip of the incident began to spread around the internet over the weekend, showing men fighting for unspecified reasons.
A witness claimed the fight transpired after a pontoon boat blocked the spot where a riverboat was approved to dock. Around 7 p.m. local time, MPD responded to the disturbance and found the men throwing hands.
Further inspection of the video shows potential racial implications, with the squabble kicking off involving a Black man, allegedly one of the dock workers, and a white man. Another white man can be seen hopping in and jumping the docker. An unnamed woman is heard in the footage yelling at witnesses to “help that brother.” As per her request, other Black men begin aiding the dock worker in battle, with a young swimmer, who the Alabama Political Reporter has identified only as Aaren, 16, making his way to the dock and moving the action further down the platform, where a boat could be seen docking.
The brawl morphed into a deeper squabble as the boat docked. White people on the docked boat were sucked into the fighting as more Black people showed up for the ensuing action. One man could even be seen swinging and connecting with a lawn chair across someone’s head.
Toward the end of the various videos, Montgomery Police could be seen escorting many of the combatants away in handcuffs.
In the aftermath of the Montgomery dock war, the city’s mayor vowed to get justice. Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed released a statement Sunday (Aug. 6), revealing that many of those involved have been arrested. “Justice will be served,” he said. “The Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job.”