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Brandon Miller, a standout freshman on Alabama’s second-ranked men’s basketball team, was linked in court Tuesday to a deadly shooting of a woman last month in downtown Tuscaloosa.
A Tuscaloosa Police Department detective testified, according to multiple local reports, that Miller brought a gun to then-teammate Darius Miles. Miles gave the gun to a friend, Michael Lynn Davis, who has nothing to do with the university. Police have claimed Davis shot into a vehicle and killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris.
Miles and Davis were charged with capital murder. Miles, a 21-year-old junior forward who watched from the bench during a game earlier on the night of January 14, was quickly released from the Crimson Tide program.
Alabama coach Nate Oats said Tuesday that Miller was “not in any kind of trouble.” He later added that authorities told his program that Miller and other Tide players who may have been at the scene are considered witnesses, not suspects, in the case.
Darius Miles, of Alabama, provided a gun but was not a shooter in the murder, records say
The courtroom testimony came during a bond hearing for Miles and Davis, who were said (via Tuscaloosa Station WTUG) to have started arguing with Harris’ boyfriend in the early hours of Jan. 15 amid a rollicking scene. Det. Branden Culpepper reportedly told the court that Miles texted Miller asking him to bring back a gun that belongs to Miles (via tuscaloosanews.com).
After Miller arrived in his car, Miles and Davis climbed into the back seat, according to Culpepper. Miles then reportedly said of the gun, “There’s one in the head,” meaning a round was loaded in the chamber.
Culpepper did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His statement marked the first time another Alabama player has been officially linked to the fatal incident. Investigators also reportedly placed another member of the team, freshman guard Jaden Bradley, at the scene.
Miller, a 6-foot-9 forward from Tennessee, averages a team-high 18.7 points, which also leads the SEC. Some analysts consider him a potential top-five pick in this year’s NBA draft should he decide to turn pro.
At a Tuesday news conference, Oats told reporters he and others with the program “were aware of the situation” surrounding the investigation into the shooting.
“We have cooperated fully with law enforcement throughout,” he said. “The whole situation is sad.”
“I can’t control everything that everyone does outside of practice,” added Oats, who is in his fourth season at Alabama. “Nobody knew that was going to happen. … Brandon wasn’t in any kind of trouble, nor is he in any kind of trouble in this case. In the wrong place at the wrong time.”
A few hours later, Oats issued a statement calling his earlier comments “unfortunate.”
“It was in no way my intention to downplay the seriousness of this situation or the tragedy of that night,” he said called. “My prayers continue to go out to James Harris’ family.”
Oats said his program was “notified by law enforcement about other student athletes in the area, and law enforcement has repeatedly told us that no other student athletes were suspects – they were just witnesses.”
“Our understanding,” he added, “is that they were all absolutely honest and cooperative.”
Miller was rated a five-star nominee after receiving national honors and Tennessee Player of the Year in high school, and became one of the most heralded recruits Alabama had ever landed. Most recently, he helped the Crimson Tide take first place in the Associated Press poll for the second time.
Miles, who played high school basketball in Washington and Maryland before graduating from IMG Academy in Florida, had seen little action this season. He was sidelined in the shooting with an injury. Not only was Miles ousted from the team, but he was also “removed from campus,” according to a University of Alabama official.
Lawyers representing Miles said last month that he “pledges his innocence”. He was being held without bail at the Tuscaloosa County jail, where he and Davis will remain for the time being, a judge reportedly ruled Tuesday.
Davis was told by police that he was injured in the shooting when Harris’ friend fired a gun. A lawyer for Davis said in court Tuesday (via WTUG) that his client fired back in self-defense after the friend opened fire first.