Another suspect has been arrested in the fallout of the recent viral brawl in Montgomery, AL. For those who missed it, things got ugly last weekend when a group of white people at a waterfront attacked a Black riverboat captain. The result were brutal, as more people from each side joined in on the altercation. A clip of the fight took the internet by storm. Allegedly, racist slurs were heard being used by somebody involved.
According to reports, a 42-year old man named Reggie Ray surrendered to police today (August 11). Allegedly, Ray can be seen in the video hitting people with a folding chair. He turned himself in after officials requested that involved individuals come forward. Currently, Ray is being held at the Montgomery Municipal Jail. He's charged with one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct. This is the lightest charge yet to be dealt out to those involved. The other four suspects have each received at least one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault.
Suspect Turned Himself In, Police Say
Mayor of Montgomery, Steven Reed, shared a statement before Ray was arrested. He cited the “diligence and dedication of the Montgomery Police Department, the Harriott II Crew and the help of witnesses.” Reed went on to say that the other four suspects who had been arrested “came from out-of-town to cause chaos and sow divisiveness.” “At this point, the FBI has not classified these attacks as a hate crime, but the investigation is ongoing,” he added today.
Though all of the charges handed to the suspects are misdemeanors, they could change as more information is gathered. “At the time, we did not have the luxury of all the videos that we have seen now, that you and I have seen, and that the world has seen," Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert explained earlier this week. “So again, as we gain more information, as we get more video, as we talk to more individuals, if charges are meant to be amended, they will be.”