- JaMaiya Miller, 25, was attacked shortly after entering a Houston apartment complex
- Two older white women hurled insults before one pushed her against a wall
- Miller was wearing an Amazon vest and holding a package when the woman hit her
- Do you know these women? Email [email protected]
A black Amazon delivery driver was attacked by two white women after one of them let her into a building to drop off a package.
JaMaiya Miller, 25, was attacked shortly after entering Belle Meade at the River Oaks apartment building in an affluent Houston neighborhood on Dec. 16.
A video she filmed of the attack showed two older white women accusing her of being a thief before pushing her against a wall and beating her.
The worker said her instructions were to leave the package at the shopper's door, so she asked to be taken to the second floor of the building.
JaMaiya Miller, 25, was attacked shortly after entering Belle Meade at the River Oaks apartment building in an affluent Houston neighborhood. Miller said the woman on the right was the one who pushed and attacked her, after calling the woman on the left who was holding the dog a thief
As she searched for the right apartment while wearing an Amazon vest, she said the woman who let her in “freaked out” and called a second lady.
Miller said it was the second woman who physically attacked her, but she didn't fight back because she feared taking the blame.
“This lady said racist phrases like I was a thief and hit me several times,” she wrote alongside the video.
“She even threw me against a resident’s door and ended up snatching the package I was trying to deliver out of my hand, all without prompting.”
“The entire time I didn't hit her or touch her once.” As much as I wanted to, I knew that whatever I did to her she would use as a weapon against me.
“She even screams 'She's hitting me!'” In the video you can literally see her hitting ME. At the same time, you can also see her feigning defense while I, again, don't lay a single finger on her.
“I hate that I didn’t get a clearer video, but I literally had to defend myself.”
Miller said that woman let her go to the second floor of the building, then “freaked out” and called the second woman. Miller is approached by the second woman while still holding the package she just delivered to Belle Meade in the River Oaks apartment building in an affluent area of Houston
The video began with Miller, still holding the package she was delivering, being confronted by the two women who said they were calling security.
“We had thieves here and you are a thief!” one shouted.
Miller agreed that they should call building security — because they were harassing her. She told them to stop touching her.
Then one of the women pushed her against the wall and the footage became chaotic as she tried to stop the lady from hitting her.
DO YOU KNOW THESE WOMEN?
Email [email protected]
Miller wrote that she had never experienced such racist behavior, including attempts to blame her for the attack and make it seem like she had attacked her.
“Both were older white women who I assume were wealthy based on the neighborhood and fancy apartment building, and I am absolutely convinced that their hatred toward me was racially motivated,” she wrote.
“It was completely outlandish, but also completely consistent with the way white women have weaponized their privilege in the past.”
“The best example of this in the video is when she claims I'm hitting her when she's literally hitting me.”
“And it's wild how I still felt like if I fought back in that moment and hit her back, I would face harsh consequences.”
Miller started a fundraiser to help pay her bills because she was terrified of going back to work since she couldn't choose where she wanted to deliver.
“Of course, because of this experience, I had to take a break from Amazon, which was my main income, and all of this has been extremely disruptive to my everyday life,” she wrote.
Miller said in an update that she filed a police report the night of the incident, but was not contacted by investigators until 10 days later.
“He asked many questions about my employment at Amazon, but provided no information about my assault or who Karen is.” “I also plan to pursue this civilly,” she wrote.
Miller said she had tried to get CCTV footage to support her account of what happened, but “the building has been unhelpful so far”.
Miller runs a podcast in her free time, but paid the bills for Amazon Miller (right) with a guest she had on her podcast earlier this year
She explained to followers who sent her messages that she feared a dangerous escalation if she defended herself.
“I am a dark-skinned black woman with dreadlocks. I was afraid of what the scene would look like if I hurt an old lady and another old lady, another old lady, corroborated her story,” she said.
“Even with video, security guards or police who arrived on the scene could have easily become hostile toward me before even asking for video.”
Houston police said the Major Assault Unit is investigating the case and will speak with everyone involved. The Harris County District Attorney's Office will then decide whether to file charges.
Belle Meade in River Oaks said its policy is that all packages and parcels must be delivered to the concierge desk.
“It is our understanding that a resident inadvertently allowed the Amazon delivery driver access to a restricted access elevator and resident hallway within the building where the event occurred,” it said.
Amazon confirmed that Miller was wearing an Amazon vest and that the company was investigating and cooperating with police.