The Black man seen giving chair shots to white people in those viral Alabama Riverfront brawl videos isn’t going to prison after all.
Reggie Bernard Ray pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being charged in connection to the infamous fight in Montgomery that should go down in Black Twitter history. According to police chief Darryl Albert, the beef started when a cruise ship carrying over 200 people was attempting to dock but a private boat packed with white folks was parked in its space. When dockworker Damien Pickett asked them to move, the white folks responded with racist hostility, and things boiled into an altercation.
Videos show that the altercation grew as more Black people ran (and swam) to Pickett’s defense.
By now, everyone has seen at least seven different angles of the incident thanks to recordings from witnesses. There were Black folks practically spawning from every corner, tag-teaming, and some cheering from the sidelines. However, Ray was identified as the man wielding a folding chair, bonking a white man and white woman on the head during the squabble.
Let’s be honest… this could’ve turned out way worse than just “disorderly conduct,” considering how the cops in the South approach Black-on-white violence. However, Montgomery Municipal Judge Milton Westry ordered Mr. Ray to serve 90 days of a suspended sentence, perform 50 hours of community service and pay a fine of $357 for court costs, per AL.com.
The report also names the four other white people who were charged in connection to the viral incident. Mary Todd, Zachary Shipman and Allen Todd pleaded guilty to harassment, and Richard Roberts pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. Mary, Allen, and Shipman each received suspended sentences varying from 15 to 60 days.