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'This is just awful': Basketball player Darius Miles charged with CAPITAL MURDER after shooting incident

Darius Miles, 21, a forward from Washington DC, and Michael Lynn Davis, 20, of Charles county, Maryland, have been charged with capital murder

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA: Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, along with another man, has been charged with capital murder in connection with a shooting near campus. According to Captain Jack Kennedy of Tuscaloosa Police, the incident occurred on Sunday morning, January 15. Jamea Harris, 23, of the Birmingham area, was shot dead. 

Miles, 23, a forward from Washington DC, and Michael Lynn Davis, 20, of Charles county, Maryland, have been charged with capital murder. “At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on The Strip,” Kennedy said in a news conference, according to The Guardian. 

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Kennedy said the driver of another vehicle in which Harris was a passenger came to campus police near Bryant-Denny Stadium at about 1.45 am. They said someone shot into the vehicle and he had to fire back. One of the suspects was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. According to a Twitter post, the shooting took place because of a “minor argument". 

Who is Darius Miles?

Miles was a reserve on the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide team. Recently, Alabama announced that he was out for the season due to an ankle injury he suffered. For the past two-and-a-half seasons, Miles was mostly seen as a bench player for Alabama. He appeared in 53 games.

Miles was born in Belleville, Illinois, and attended East St Louis Lincoln High School and East St Louis Senior High School in East St. Louis, Illinois. He was selected directly out of high school by the Los Angeles Clippers. His career as a player almost ended after he was released by the Portland Trail Blazers in April 2008 following microfracture surgery on his right knee. However, he returned during the 2008–09 season as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. In total, he played for Los Angeles Clippers (2000–2002), Cleveland Cavaliers (2002–2004), Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2008), and Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2009). 

Miles played a role in 'The Perfect Score' as a high school basketball star. He was also seen in National Lampoon's 'Van Wilder' and appeared in a documentary titled 'The Youngest Guns'. 

Miles was arrested at Lambert-St Louis International Airport for carrying a loaded gun in August 2011. He made nearly $62 million in his NBA career and then filed for bankruptcy on September 18. In a 'Player's Tribune' article, he addressed mental health issues that he dealt with after his career. Since February 2019, Miles co-hosted 'The Knuckleheads' podcast with Quentin Richardson. He was reportedly indicted for insurance fraud in the Southern District of New York for allegedly defrauding the NBA's health and welfare benefit plan back in October 2021.

Miles' bio has been removed from the athletic department website. He has been removed from campus and is not on the team anymore. “The University of Alabama’s utmost priority is the safety and well-being of the campus community,” a university statement said. “We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extends our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.” The driver, Harris and Davis do not appear to have an affiliation with the university. 

What is Alabama's punishment for capital murder?

Capital murder is reportedly one of the most serious violent crimes in Alabama. According to Dixon Law, LLC, "Capital Murder is a Class A felony, carrying with it a potential ten (10) years to life sentence or even a possible penalty of death. Typically speaking, a defendant or individual charged or suspected of capital murder involves allegations where that individual planned and possessed premeditation to commit murder."

'Praying for the victims and their families'

Twitter erupted after news of Miles' arrest surfaced, with one user saying, "Be careful who you hangout with. Not sure why we aren’t having serious conversations with youth about their actions and consequences. We blame guns and systemic racism but people gotta get with it on their own." "Some kids cannot break from the company that they keep," another user wrote. One said, "Oh my! This is just awful! Praying for the victims and their families! God speed".

"Every day I become more convinced that the most horrible choices are made after midnight, before 5a. And this is why I just stay home," one user wrote, while another said, "Nothing good happens in the streets after midnight. RIEP Jamea Jonae Harris". "RIP to the lady and hopefully they get the worse outcome possible," one user said.

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