Nearly two months after a brawl on Montgomery’s riverfront, several people involved in the violent episode that captured the nation’s attention on Monday reflected on the incident in an interview with ‘Good Morning America.’
The viral Aug. 5 melee started when crew members of the Harriott II were unable to dock the cruise boat because a private pontoon boat was in the way.
A now-notorious melee ensued including punches and even a chair, all caught on multiple cell phone videos.
Harriott II Co-captain Dameion Pickett told Robin Roberts he remains “a little sore, little bumps and bruises here and there. But I’m here by the grace of God.”
“I didn’t expect this to happen at work today,” Pickett said. “I was just expecting another peaceful, nice cruise.”
Aaren Hamilton-Rudolph, a teen seen swimming to the dock to defend Pickett, and Roshein “RahRah” Carlton, Pickett’s coworker and friend, were also interviewed for the segment.
“I couldn’t just watch and sit around and just let him get beat on while everybody else is just recording and watching,” Hamilton-Rudolph said.
Carlton said he heard “a lot of racial slurs” used during the incident.
Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said police “looked at every avenue” and left “no stone unturned” but “were unable to present any insight in a riot or racial racially biased charges at this time.”
A lawyer for Reggie Ray, who is Black and is the only defendant not on the pontoon boat to be charged in the case, told GMA the attack on the workers was racial. Ray was seen swinging a folding chair in one of the viral videos.
Ray was “involuntarily roped into the disorderly conduct initiated by a violent white mob,” lawyer Lee Merritt said.
The other four defendants are white and were on the pontoon boat.
