Gregory Robinson
Shocking new footage of the Montgomery riverfront brawl shows the moment a man jumped into the water from a boat to help.
Watch the mind-blowing moment unfold below:
The footage which was filmed from the land shows a teen leap from the historic Harriott II, a three-story dinner cruise boat, that was waiting to dock when the fight happened.
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On Sunday (6 August) footage of a chaotic brawl in Alabama went viral on social media. The footage shows a group of men attacking a dock worker after a confrontation between one of the men and the employee allegedly descended into a fight.
It was reported that the situation broke out after the employee asked the people move their boat from the pier because a ferry service needed to dock there, but the group of boaters refused. This disagreement led to a confrontation which escalated further, as multiple people became involved in the melee on the waterfront.
Witnesses pulled out their phones to record the incident as more and more people joined the fight.
The 16-year-old in the new footage, who has been dubbed ‘Black Aquaman’ for literally jumping to action by swimming to the scene to help a dock worker, has been named only as Aaren.
Makina Lashea, a representative for the boy’s family, released a statement on Facebook on behalf of his family which read: “In the face of adversity, Aaren selflessly came to the rescue of a fellow colleague, showcasing courage beyond his years.
“The overwhelming love and support pouring in from all corners of the state and surrounding areas have deeply touched Aaeren.”
The footage was shared by TikToker @naiderri_quyuan who captioned the video: “Homie deserves an Olympic medal.”
Photos posted on social media after the fight ended show a group of men sitting on the pontoon in handcuffs. Meanwhile, others were led away from the scene by police officers.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Mayor Steven Reed said in a statement: “Last night, the Montgomery Police Department acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job.
“Warrants are being signed and justice will be served.”
He added: “As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitised to violence of any kind in our community.
“Those who choose violence will be held accountable by our criminal justice system.”