Tide basketball player Darius Miles arrested for capital murder
A day after being ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, Alabama forward Darius Miles has been arrested and charged with capital murder for a shooting on the Strip in Tuscaloosa.
Miles, 21, is one of two men charged in the case along with Michael Lynn Davis, 20.
Around 1:45 AM Sunday morning, officers from the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the University of Alabama Police Department were dispatched to the Walk of Champions at Bryant Denny Stadium following a report of a shooting.
Upon arrival, officers were met by a driver in a vehicle that also contained a deceased female that had been shot. The driver reported that their vehicle had been shot into, and that he had also returned fire in self-defense, and may have struck a suspect. The victim was identified as Jamea Jonae Harris, age 23, from the Birmingham area. She was not affiliated with the University of Alabama.
After investigation, it was quickly determined that the shooting had occurred at another location, the 400 Block of Grace Street off of University Boulevard. The Violent Crimes Unit was then called out to assume the investigation.
After processing the scenes, speaking with multiple witnesses, and viewing video surveillance, two suspects were developed. They were located and interviewed. One suspect was found to have indeed been struck by gunfire and had a non-life-threatening wound. At this time, both suspects have been charged with Capital Murder, and committed to jail, with no bond.
The shooting is thought to be the result of a minor argument that occurred between the victims and suspects after they encountered each other along the Strip on the university campus.
Alabama has removed Miles' bio from the school website. Following Miles's arrest, the university released this statement.
“The University of Alabama’s utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community. We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends. We are grateful for the quick and thorough response of law enforcement and emergency response teams, and we will continue to fully support the ongoing investigation. We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles; he has been removed from campus and is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team.”
Later, Miles' attorney, William White, released this statement to Patch: "Darius Miles and his family are heartbroken tonight over the death of Jamea Jonae Harris. While Darius has been accused of being involved with this tragedy, he maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court. Our firm's own investigation is ongoing, and no further statement will be made at this time."
Due to the preseason ankle injury, Miles was limited to just six games this season with 6.5 minutes per game before head coach Nate Oats shut him down for the year.
