The Black dock worker seen on video of the massive brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, that took over social media during the summer has been charged, according to reports.
Court documents revealed that Harriott II Riverboat co-captain Dameion Pickett has been charged with third-degree assault in connection to the Aug. 5 melee, AL.com reported. Atlanta Black Star reached out to the Montgomery police officials for comment.
The charges come months after Pickett was attacked by a group of white boaters, both men and women, over a docking space dispute at Riverfront Park. Widely circulated video shows the moment things escalated between Pickett and the other men, who, at one point, collectively beat him while he was on the ground.
As the scuffle continued, Black men could be seen coming to the co-captain’s defense, including one teen who swam to the dock. In another angle of the physical altercation, a man hit someone with a white folding chair — which was the center of memes and other viral moments online. During an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America, Pickett said he was “in shock” with how things took a turn.
“This man just put his hand on me, I was, like … it’s my job, but I’m still defending myself at the same time,” he said. “So when he touched me, I was, like, ‘It’s on.’ “
WATCH VIDEO OF THE BRAWL HERE.
Local officials swiftly condemned the attack, calling for those responsible to be held accountable, and several people were charged. Richard Roberts, 48, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor assault charges, and Mary Todd pleaded guilty to harassment.
Additionally, Allen Todd, 24, and Zachary Shipman, 26, were charged with third-degree assault. According to AL.com, Pickett was arrested based on Shipman’s complaint but identified as a victim in legal filings for the pontoon boaters.
Reports of the charges against the Black worker raised questions on social media.
“How do you get charged for defending yourself? This is crazy,” one X user wrote. “He was protecting himself. This is crazy?!! echoed another.
The man seen with the folding chair, Reggie Ray, was charged with disorderly conduct. Ray is represented by civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who emphasized that he was “involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob.” A GoFundMe created to assist him with expenses has raised nearly $300,000.
“I had a responsibility,” Pickett told ABC, reflecting on that day. “I was still trying to get that boat in while the fight was still going on. I’m still telling the captain, ‘We gotta get these folks here safely to this dock.'”
“The City of Montgomery and Montgomery Police Department have been made aware that one of the individuals involved in the incident at Montgomery Riverfront Park on August 5, 2023, has filed charges against Harriet II co-captain Dameion Pickett. Neither the City nor the Montgomery Police Department filed these charges. The Montgomery Police Department’s investigation only lists Mr. Pickett as a victim.”
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