Reggie Bernard Ray, who infamously swung a folding chair in the viral Alabama Riverfront brawl, will not spend time behind bars.
According to court records reviewed by TMZ, Ray entered a conditional guilty plea on Monday and in exchange will have to complete 50 hours of community service and a 90-day suspended sentence. Pending his completion of the court-ordered requirements and a payment of $357 for court costs, Ray will not have to serve any jail time.
In August, Ray was involved in a massive brawl that broke out at the Montgomery waterfront in an apparent racially-motivated attack. An innocent Black man, the co-captain of a nearby riverboat, was struck by a white man associated with an illegally parked private boat who refused to move from the dock. A number of onlookers quickly came to the co-captain’s defense where the fighting spun wildly out of control.
Videos from the chaotic scene went viral on social media and inspired a number of memes, and eventually birthed a merch line.
Reggie Bernard Ray, along with four other individuals connected to the melee, eventually turned himself in to the police.
The 42-year-old, who was charged with disorderly conduct, received support through a GoFundMe set up by his lawyer, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt. Ray was able to raise nearly $300,000 to offset the costs of “medical bills, lost wages/earnings, professional services, travel, lodging, and expenses.”
