“Leave the “Chair man” alone”: Montgomery Riverfront brawl man Reggie Gray seen wielding a chair sparks concern as police name suspects 

Reggie Gray, the black man seen in one of the viral Montgomery Riverfront brawl videos wielding a chair, has sparked concern online after police urged him to contact them for further interviews.

On Tuesday, August 8, Montgomery police chief Darryl Albert announced that three arrest warrants were issued in connection to the Montgomery Riverfront brawl that broke out on Saturday, August 5. Chief Daryl, while identifying the suspects as three white men, said that one man was in custody and two others were expected to turn themselves in.

The suspects, Richard Roberts, 48, Alan Todd, 23 and Zachary Shipman, 25, were charged with third-degree assault. In addition to the three white suspects, Chief Daryl said that a black male identified as Reggie Gray, 42, was wanted for further questioning after he was caught in a viral video wielding a chair.

In the wake of police identifying Reggie Gray as a potential person of interest in the case, netizens rallied behind the black man. The statement has led to an outpouring of support from social media, with one user stating, “Leave the “Chair man” alone.”

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Netizens react as Reggie Gray asked to contact police over the Montgomery brawl

On Tuesday, police revealed the cause of the Montgomery Riverfront brawl that garnered national attention after viral videos of the racially divided incident began circulating online, amassing millions of views. Authorities said that the brawl began after the black dock worker, identified as co-captain of the Riverboat, Damien Pickett, asked the White pontoon boat owners to move their vessel so the riverboat can dock.

The White men who reportedly refused to move the vessel subjected Pickett to "obscene gestures, curse words and taunting" before throwing the first punch. The initial conflict escalated into a full-blown brawl after several people jumped in to defend the black man, who was being attacked by white pontoon boaters.

Reggie Gray was one of the individuals who jumped to defend Pickett and was caught wielding a chair in multiple videos of the brawl. As police announced that he was wanted for questioning in connection to the incident, social media users concerned over legal repercussions suggested Gray launch a legal fund through GoFundMe. One of the users wrote:

“I was really worried for him, but it looks like he grabbed the chair when the original guy was being attacked by a mob. He would be absolutely justified in using a weapon to protect a victim of gang violence, or more accurately, a lynching. Still needs a lawyer, Alabama.”

While another echoed the suggestion that Gray launch a GoFundMe:

“Reggie Gray needs our support & hopefully a GoFundMe gets started for good representation.”

However, a social media user pointed out that Reggie Gray’s daughter had already launched a fundraiser for bail money. The fundraiser created two days ago by Gray’s daughter, Angelica McKnight, identified her father as the man wielding a chair in the video while adding that he was remorseful for his actions.

The fundraiser revealed that Gray was allegedly arrested after the brawl and slapped with a $25,000 bond. The fundraiser has raised close to $16,000. However, it is unclear if Gray was in custody following the incident since police announced on Tuesday that he was wanted for further interviews. Meanwhile, police have yet to charge Gary in the Montgomery case.