A new video of a riverfront brawl in Alabama better shows how far a teenage boy dubbed "Black Aquaman" swam to help a Black worker being pummeled by a group of white people.
Police in Montgomery said there are four active warrants and more could be issued after authorities review more video footage of the Saturday night fight.
One four-minute video showed the fight began after a crew member of a city-operated riverboat tried to get a pontoon boat moved that was blocking the riverboat from docking. A shirtless white man shoved and struck the Black man, according to the video captured by a passenger on the riverboat. Things escalated when several more white people joined in, tackling the Black man to the ground and attacking him.
A 16-year-old boy identified only as Aaren was hailed as a hero after videos showed him swimming towards the riverfront to aid the Black worker.
A video posted on TikTok on Monday, filmed from a different angle, captured the moment the teenager jumped from the riverboat and better shows the distance he had to swim to get to the melee.
The clip has amassed more than a million likes on the platform, and more than 5 million views.
"I haven't seen this angle and I'm so proud of him," one person commented.
Another wrote: "I am seriously impressed at the distance and speed that he swam AND pulled himself up that dock."
Aaren "selflessly came to the rescue of a fellow colleague, showcasing courage beyond his years," Makina Lashea, a publicist for Aaren, said in a statement posted on Facebook.
"We are immensely proud of his actions and the values he exemplifies, standing as an inspiration to us all. The overwhelming love and support pouring in from all corners of the state and surrounding areas have deeply touched Aaren. Your kindness and encouragement have shown him the power of unity and the warmth of a caring community."
Lashea added: "We, the publicist team, his parents, along with his extended family want to extend our sincerest gratitude to each and every one of you for your unwavering support during this time. Your messages and gestures of appreciation have not gone unnoticed, and they have left a lasting impact on Aaren and his family."
In a statement to Newsweek on Monday, Major Saba Coleman of the Montgomery Police Department said officers responded to the 200 block of Coosa Street about a disturbance at about 7 p.m. on Saturday.
"At the scene, they located a large group of subjects engaged in a physical altercation. Several subjects have been detained and any charges are pending," Coleman said.
A separate video shows several Black people ran off the riverboat after it docked and confronted people on the pontoon boat who were involved in the initial brawl.
Another fight then broke out, mostly split along racial lines, until officers broke it up and started handcuffing people.
Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said police will hold a briefing to provide an update on the situation at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
"While there is a lot of activity and interest in this, we know that we'll come through this together as a community collectively as we have other situations," Reed said on Monday, according to al.com.
In a statement on Sunday, Reed said that Montgomery police had "acted swiftly to detain several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job."
He added: "This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred. As our police department investigates these intolerable actions, we should not become desensitized to violence of any kind in our community. Those who choose violence will be held accountable by our criminal justice system."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on abortion rights, race, education, ... Read more
