Darius Miles, a former athlete from the University of Alabama basketball team, has entered a plea of not guilty in response to a capital murder charge leveled at him in connection with a fatal shooting near the college campus. The ex-Crimson Tide basketball player, alongside Michael Lynn Davis, have been charged with capital murder in the shooting that took 23-year-old Jamea Harris’s life on the Strip in Tuscaloosa. Miles’ dismissal from the college’s team was the result of his apprehension.
Harris was visiting her cousin and boyfriend in Tuscaloosa on the weekend of Jan. 15 when she was shot at around 1:45 a.m, Tuscaloosa police, who were dispatched to the Walk of Champions at Bryant Denny Stadium, said. Harris’ boyfriend had been driving her from the scene of the shooting and stated that their vehicle had been fired upon. DeCarla Heard, who is Harris’ mother, alleged that things started when the suspects tried to talk to Harris, who had made it clear she was not interested. Court records indicate that Davis had fired the shots that killed Harris, while Miles is said to have provided the weapon.
In response to the arrest of Davis and Miles, their attorneys released statements expressing sympathy and condolences to the victim’s family, further asking the public to withhold judgment until all the evidence had been reviewed. “My client and his parents are heartbroken at the death of the young lady,” John Robbins, who is representing Davis, said.
“They send their deepest sympathies and sincere prayers to her family and friends. We ask that everyone would please withhold judgment until all the facts come out and for the media to refrain from portraying Michael as the ‘bad guy,’ Robbins said.
“Michael is a good person from a good family, and he intends to vigorously defend himself against these charges.”
Testimony in court indicated that the shooting was a result of an altercation between Davis and Cedric Johnson, Harris’ boyfriend, occurring outside of a bar. Miles told the police that he had seen a gun being passed in Harris’ vehicle when he took Davis away from the scene. He then sent a text to Alabama star Brandon Miller, requesting that he bring Miles his gun, although there was no confirmation that Miller had seen the message.
It was noted that Miller arrived at the location at 1:43 a.m., and Miles and Davis obtained Miles’ gun from the backseat of Miller’s car. According to police accounts, Davis approached the passenger side of Harris’ jeep with Johnson inside and the two of them engaged in a gunfight, with Davis initiating the shooting. However, defense attorneys at a February hearing raised questions as to who actually fired first, as reported by ESPN.