2 white boaters plead guilty to misdemeanors in Alabama riverfront brawl

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Two white boaters charged in an Alabama riverfront brawl that drew nationwide attention pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of harassment and assault.

The August riverfront melee in Montgomery drew national attention after white boaters were filmed hitting a Black riverboat co-captain and crew members rushing to his defense. Video of the fight was shared widely online, sparking countless memes and parodies.

Montgomery police said the brawl began when the white boaters refused to move their pontoon boat so the city-owned Harriott II riverboat could dock in its designated space. The boat’s co-captain said he was attacked after moving the pontoon boat a few feet to make way for the riverboat.

Four white boaters and one Black man, who was filmed hitting people with a folding chair, were charged with misdemeanor offenses.

Two of the white boaters entered guilty pleas Friday, news outlets reported. A man pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting the Black riverboat co-captain and a white teen deckhand. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that he was given a four-month suspended sentence and will serve 32 days on weekends at a detention facility. A woman pleaded guilty to harassment and was ordered to complete anger management classes.

The three other defendants had their cases postponed until next month.