Dock worker at center of Alabama boat brawl speaks out
- A group of white boaters on a pontoon boat refused to move
- A dock worker said he was attacked while just doing his job
- Video of the brawl went viral on social media
The Harriott II riverboat sits docked in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. A riverfront brawl occurred on Aug. 5 when a crew member was punched for trying to move a pontoon boat that was blocking the riverboat from docking. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler)
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(NewsNation) — The dock worker who was at the center of a massive brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, that went viral on social media has spoken out, explaining exactly what led to the fight.
Dameion Pickett told “Good Morning America” his story, which began with a pontoon boat illegally docking where a riverboat was meant to go.
After repeated calls for the pontoon to move, Pickett was sent over in a smaller boat to tell the group to move. They refused. Pickett said the brawl began when he defended himself after the group attacked.
The fight quickly spread as the boaters, who were white, continued to attack Pickett and Black bystanders came to Pickett’s defense.
Videos of the fight spawned memes of recognizable moments, including one man swimming to Pickett’s defense and another showing a man using a folding chair as a weapon during the brawl. It also sparked conversations about race, as the participants in the fight were divided on racial lines.
Five people were arrested in connection with the fight.
Four white boaters, who police said were filmed hitting or shoving a Black riverboat captain in Montgomery, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges. A Black man, who police said was filmed swinging a folding chair and hitting people in the subsequent melee, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
