TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A member of the University of Alabama basketball team was one of two suspects arrested in connection with an early Sunday morning shooting death, according to the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit.
Darius Hairston Miles, 21, from Washington, D.C., faces a charge of capital murder and has been jailed without bond. The other suspect, Michael Lynn Davis, 20, from Charles County, Maryland, also faces a capital murder charge and has also been jailed without bond. An email from the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit states that Davis is not affiliated with the university.
Officers with the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the University of Alabama Police Department were called to scene of a reported shooting at around 1:45 a.m. near the Walk of Champions at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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The responding officers made contact with the driver of a vehicle who had stopped outside the stadium to call for help. The driver told officers that his vehicle had been shot into and that he had fired in self-defense and may have struck one of the assailants. A female passenger in the car, identified by police as 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris of Birmingham, was killed by the gunfire.
After an investigation, officers determined that the shooting had occurred in the 400 block of Grace Street off University Boulevard in an off-campus area known as the Strip.
Officers believe the shooting was the result of a minor argument that occurred between the victims and suspects after they encountered each other along the Strip.
After speaking with witnesses and viewing video surveillance, Miles and Davis were developed as suspects, according to investigators.
Capt. Jack Kennedy, commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, didn’t say Sunday who they believe pulled the trigger, but did say both suspects are being charged because their actions led to Harris’ death.
Miles is no longer a member of the Alabama men's basketball team, UA athletics said in a statement.
"First and foremost, we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the victim from last night’s incident," the statement from UA athletics read. "We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles, and he is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team. Athletics, in conjunction with the University, is fully cooperating with this investigation."
Miles was in attendance for the LSU game Saturday afternoon at Coleman Coliseum. He was in street clothes, though, because he was ruled out for the year with an ankle injury. He had been out for a period of time this season as well for what coach Nate Oats called "personal reasons" after the Mississippi State game.
Miles, in his junior season, had only played six games. He sustained the injury during the preseason but he played a couple games with it while going through rehab for the injury. Consultation with medical professionals led to the decision to end his season so that he could focus on rehabilitation. The last game Miles appeared in was against Jackson State on Dec. 20. This season, he was averaging 6.5 minutes.
Miles saw a much bigger role a year ago when he played in 30 games and had two starts. His career-high scoring output was 14 points against Mississippi State in 2022.
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