University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, 21, has been charged with murder. According to CNN, Miles was arrested due to a shooting that transpired on Sunday (Jan. 15) near the university’s campus, leaving Jamea Harris, 23, dead.
Another young man, Michael Lynn Davis, 20, who doesn’t attend the college, was also charged in the shooting.
Law enforcement allegedly responded to the incident at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday. Authorities arrived and discovered Harris had been killed while sitting in a car near campus.
According to Harris’ mother DeCarla Cotton, Harris was allegedly visiting Tuscaloosa with her boyfriend to see her cousin who attends Bama. The trio attempted to grab dinner when a man walked up to Harris and began flirting with her, Harris’ boyfriend recalled to Cotton.
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“He was advancing on her, and she declined his attention,” Cotton said. “He refused to go away.”
As the trio exited, a man approached their vehicle and fired shots. Harris’ boyfriend began shooting back, shelling one of the suspects,” the mom recalls of the incident involving her daughter.
Both Davis and Miles are currently charged with capital murder and are being held in jail without bond, according to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.
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“After processing the scenes, speaking with multiple witnesses, and viewing video surveillance, two suspects were developed,” unit captain Jack Kennedy asserted. “It appears that the only motive to this was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on The Strip.”
UA’s athletics department released a statement on Sunday (Jan. 15), revealing that Miles was removed from the team.
“The University of Alabama’s utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community,” the statement read. “We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”
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“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.”
WBRC reports that Miles’ attorneys stated his family is “heartbroken” over Harris’ death, proclaiming his client is looking forward to proving his innocence.
“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.”
