We propose a “stupidity law” – if one obstructs someone doing their job, which guarantees security to people, the person must be charged for being straight-up stupid.
On August 5, 2023, a dock worker was monitoring Alabama’s Montgomery Riverfront Park. One of his duties includes managing the riverfront traffic to avoid any mishaps.
Point 1: The dock worker is abiding by his duties, following the protocol for safety.
While doing his job, he spotted a pontoon boat afloat on one side of the dock. The dock worker asked the owner of the boat to move the boat.
Point 2: The reason the dock worker asked the pontoon boat to move was so that the Harriott II Riverfront boat carrying several passengers could park safely, as the boat was arriving soon.
But the pontoon boat passengers showcased aggression with no provocation whatsoever. The family started attacking the dock worker, as seen in the video below.
Point 3: The altercation started with a bunch of men attacking one worker.
Although there are no reports of what was said before the video started, it can be assumed that, as a security employee, he directed the boat to vacate to steer clear of accidents involving several people. There was absolutely no reason to attack a man performing his honest duties. Actually, there should be no reason to attack any man, period!
Point 4: The attackers were a white family, and the dock worker was black.
For a solid period, the bystanders watched a man getting jumped on by several people and did nothing to help him. That’s when you see a bunch of black men assembled at the scene, and a fight ensues. After the cops arrived, some men involved in the fight tried to abscond the scene (per the reports). One of the men was identified as Chase Shipman.
Chase Shipman is a local businessman from Selma, known in the community as the proprietor of Vasser’s Mini Mart. His identity was revealed in the video, and he was reportedly seen fleeing after the authorities pulled up. This resulted in a massive backlash from netizens who collectively decided to boycott his Mart.
Who Is Chase Shipman?
The 25-year-old proprietor of Vasser’s Mini Mart has only recently acquired business ownership from his mother, Missy Calvery. Before becoming the owner of the Mini Mart in June 2023, Shipman was managing a local gas and oil station. He inherited the businesses from his parents, who were in charge for the past two decades.
Selma Times-Journal has confirmed his identity as one of the instigators of the Alabama riverboat fight.
Vasser’s Mini Mart Get Bashed Online for Posting the Alabama Riverboat Fight
The online discourse has taken a heavy turn due to racist implications. Many netizens believe that it is a case of ingrained racism that prompted such actions. Moreover, people also pointed out how many white “innocent bystanders” did nothing to help the sole man getting attacked.
Thanks to the cops arriving promptly, they stopped the brawl that could have taken an ugly turn. Steven Reed, Montgomery’s mayor, issued a statement using a press conference–
“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.”
Netizens dug out the names of the perpetrators, and here is the alleged list–
- Steve Todd
- Rachel Faulkner Todd
- Catherine Cromer Martin
- Anna Blake Langford
- Mary Elizabeth Todd
- Allen Todd
- Chase Shipman.
Chase Shipman has released his statement regarding his alleged involvement in the brawl–
He admits to being at the scene but claims that he had no intention of instigating the fight as he believed that it was wrong.
But netizens couldn’t digest his explanation and waged an online protest against his establishment. Since then, people flocked in to give negative reviews to Vasser’s. Amassing over 300 1-star reviews.
People are calling the Vasser’s owner racist and a liar. Some netizens even dug out past messages from Chase Shipmann that display blatant racism.
While Black Twitter was having a field day, creating memes of the incident symbolized black solidarity.
What are your thoughts on this incident? Do you think the family should be legally charged? What do you think about Chase Shipman’s involvement?
Do you believe his statement? Let us know in the comments section below.
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