Who is Chase Shipman? White Man in Alabama Boat Brawl Speaks Out

A local convenience store owner has spoken out after being accused of lying about his alleged involvement in a brawl that broke out after a Black dock worker was attacked by a group of white men in Montgomery, Alabama.

Chase Shipman, the owner of Vasser's Mini Mart in Selma, admitted in a since-removed Facebook post that he had been present during the incident but denied being involved in the violence caught on camera.

The fight broke out on the Montgomery Riverfront around 7 p.m. on Saturday, police said. Video footage shows the fight took place on the pier itself, next to the Harriott II Riverboat attraction.

Clips of the brawl have since gone viral on social media. One bystander—whose videos of the incident have been viewed nearly 62 million times on X, formerly Twitter, as of 10 a.m. ET Monday—said the fight broke out after a Black security guard asked the group to move their boat so the larger riverboat could dock.

Footage shows a small altercation between a few individuals grow into a mass fight as others attempt to intervene on either side.

The incident has reignited racial tensions in the birthplace of the American civil rights movement, with the group who started the attack derided by some as acting with racist intentions.

Mayor Steven Reed confirmed that law enforcement had detained "several reckless individuals for attacking a man who was doing his job," adding in a statement on Sunday: "This was an unfortunate incident which never should have occurred."

The names of those detained as a result of the brawl have not yet been released by police, who told Newsweek on Monday morning that there were four arrest warrants still active following the altercation.

A Montgomery Police Department spokesperson added that there was the possibility more arrest warrants would be issued following a "review of additional video," but declined to name the individuals and did not respond to questions about Shipman.

Newsweek approached Shipman via email for comment on Monday.

Following the brawl, Vasser's Mini Mart posted a video from the incident which Shipman said showed him running away after realizing he could not stop the fight, screengrabs show.

The Facebook pages for the convenience store and Shipman have since been removed or restricted, believed to be in response to the backlash. The Selma Journal published the statement on Sunday, attributing it to Shipman.

"Yes, I was there but I was the first to try to get away," it read. "I do not condone what happened. I tried to stop it and realized that I could not, so I tried to get away.

"There is a video of me being the first to run away because what was happening was wrong and I did not want to be a part of it. I realize I have a business to run and represent and no charges were filed against me because I was not involved."

While images from the scene appear to show Shipman sitting on the deck in handcuffs surrounded by police, another video from after the incident seems to show Shipman walking away freely.

Social media users accused Shipman of dishonesty and suggested that he had been let go by telling attending officers he had been fleeing.

"For the owner of Vasser's Mini Mart to tell a bold face [sic] LIE, that he never touched that man and was only trying to get away. Here's the proof," wrote Sheldon Gibson, above a video of the fight breaking out.

While a man wearing the same shorts as Shipman in other clips is visible throwing punches at the security guard, the footage is too grainy to say conclusively if they are the same person.

"After he attacked and beat an innocent black Riverfront Park employee he tried to flee on foot and trick The Montgomery Police Department as if he wasn't a part of the race brawl," Sir Maejor, a Black albino actor and model, tweeted.

In another tweet, he said of Vasser's Mini Mart: "There is no way in hell this business should be allowed to operate in our community. His business MUST BE & WILL BE shut down."