The African-American man who was seen in one of the viral videos related to the Montgomery riverfront brawl that broke out over the weekend in Atlanta, violently hitting people with a chair, has been identified as Reggie Gray.
The Montgomery Police Department held a press conference on Tuesday where they announced that three white males have been charged with assault. However, authorities declared that there is still more potential charges to be expected.
According to Chief of Police Darryl Albert, Gray had not been charged yet. However, MPD said that he has been called in for further questioning. This statement has led to an overpouring of support for the 42-year-old Black male on social media.
Mostly people warned Gray to lawyer up and also be wary of walking into the police station without proper legal support. There were also users who requested Gray to start an online fund raiser through a platform such as Go Fund Me where he could invite donations to cover his legal fees.
Also Read | Marlon Wayans claps back at Montgomery riverfront brawl criticism amid controversy over ‘shade’ remarks
Here are some of the reactions:
The overwhelming support for Gray could stem from the fact that he is Black and there has been a long-running history of police brutality toward the African-American community in the US.
Who is Reggie Gray?
In one of the videos from the brawl, a Black man was was seen smacking a white boater with a chair during the brawl. That Black man is believed to be Gray. He repeatedly hit a white man with a chair.
Others in the brawl were seen gouging each other’s eyes out, hurling punches and pushing and shoving each other. Meanwhile a woman was seen sitting on the floor, trying to dodge the chaos as a man smashes a chair across her dead in a violent assault.
13 people were detained Saturday – the day the fight broke out -and brought in for questioning. However, no criminal charges were pressed at the time and they were all released. Only after the police conducted further investigation were the warrants were issued for three men. The suspects have been identified as Richard Roberts, Allen Todd and Zachary Shipman.
