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Who all have been charged in Alabama boat brawl? Man who wielded folding chair out on bail after $300K GoFundMe surge

Apart from Reggie Ray, four other individuals have been charged for their involvement in the Alabama boat brawl

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: Reggie Ray, an Alabama man who allegedly used a folding chair to attack a white group in a brutal boat brawl, has posted his bail after a GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $300,000 for his defense.

The 42-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct for his alleged involvement in the altercation that occurred on August 5 in Montgomery's Riverfront Park in Alabama.

He turned himself in on Friday but has since been released from jail, his lawyer and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt said in an update.

"Mr Reggie Ray is out," Merritt said, adding, "He is in good spirits. He got a speeding ticket on the way home but was relieved to discover the community showed up for him and others in such a strong way."

Who is Reggie Ray?

Police previously confirmed that Ray was the black person, who was seen swinging a chair in a now-viral video that showed the moment when black staff from a cruise and white pleasure craft owners clashed over a pontoon boat that was blocking the dock where a riverboat was trying to moor.

Merritt says he is acting as part of the legal team for several people who were detained on charges related to the horrific brawl at the dock.

"As of early this morning, each of our clients who faced arrest as a result of their alleged involvement in the incident at the Montgomery Riverfront has been released from jail," Merritt said, as per Daily Mail.

"The criminal charges involved amount to no more than misdemeanors if outright dismissal is not warranted," he continued. More than $300,000 has since been raised for Ray’s defense through a fundraising page.

Who all have been charged in Alabama Boat Brawl?

Apart from Ray, four other individuals have been charged for their involvement in the Alabama boat brawl.

Allen Todd, 23, and Zachery Shipman, 25, were each charged with one count of third-degree assault and a misdemeanor. They were in the custody of the Montgomery police as of Wednesday, the police reported.

A third man, Richard Roberts, 48, turned himself in on Tuesday and was charged with two counts of third-degree assault. After Roberts, Shipman’s girlfriend Mary Todd turned herself in and was also charged with third-degree assault.

Officials later confirmed that all four suspects have posted their bail.

What set off the Alabama boat brawl?

The incident started on Saturday when a pontoon boat blocked a city-operated riverboat named Harriott II from mooring in its approved location along the city's riverbank.

At least 227 people were on board the Harriott II for a tour, according to Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert. The Harriott and its passengers waited for around 45 minutes before the captain tried to contact the pontoon boat owner by loudspeaker.

But instead of moving the boat, people on the other vessel responded with "obscene gestures, curse words, and taunting," the police chief said.

Pickett, the co-captain, then took another vessel and brought it to the dock to try to have a conversation with the boat owners and get them to move, according to CNN.

At this point, the boat owners confronted the captain in a “very hostile manner,” Albert said. “The co-captain was doing his job. He was simply trying to move the boat in just enough to where the cruise ship could park safely in its identified location. However, it quickly escalated,” the chief noted.

Pickett was “attacked by several members of the private boat,” as per reports. The situation escalated after several people from the riverboat came to the co-captain’s defense.

In a now-viral video, a shirtless White man was seen attacking the Harriott employee, who flung his hat into the air. The shirtless man then threw several punches at him, and a group of several other White people knocked the worker to the ground and started hitting him, the footage shows.

The fight escalated further after other groups of people entered the fray, and a person aboard the boat jumped into the water and swam toward the fight.

Following the incident, 13 individuals were detained and escorted to police headquarters for interrogation before being released, authorities said.

Who is Black Aquaman?

A 16-year-old boy, named Aaren, is being hailed as the ‘Black Aquaman’ for showing courage in the face of adversity when he jumped off the boat to save his colleague working at the dock during the wild brawl.

When asked about the incident, Aaren said that he only did "what I was taught to do."

A person representing Aaren’s family, Makina Lashea, released a statement saying that the 16-year-old is a "cherished young hero" and thanked people who had "come together to celebrate the remarkable act of bravery and compassion."