Guilty Pleas in Montgomery Riverfront Brawl

Two men sentenced to probation, community service, and anger management training after racially charged altercation.

Two men, Allen Todd and Zachery Shipman, pleaded guilty to harassment charges for their roles in a brawl that took place on the riverfront dock in Montgomery, Alabama, on August 5th.
The brawl started when a cruise ship was trying to dock in its designated parking spot, but found a private boat was in its space. The dispute ended with the defendants fighting Damien Pickett, the co-captain of the cruise ship, when he confronted them about moving.
Both defendants will be required to complete 12 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. They will also have to enroll in and complete anger management training, and pay their individual court costs.
Video of the melee went viral as some believed the fracas was racially motivated. The incident largely broke down along racial lines in a city with both a fraught history of racial violence and a proud place in the civil rights movement.
Two other defendants charged in the case were sentenced in October after pleading guilty. Mary Todd was sentenced to anger management classes after pleading guilty to harassment as part of a plea agreement. Richard Roberts, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, was sentenced to 32 days, which he was set to serve on weekends over the course of four months, along with community service.