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Hornets rookie and former Alabama men’s basketball forward Brandon Miller is one of three men named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Jamea Jonae Harris, who was killed in a January shooting near the University of Alabama.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Harris’ mother and representative of her estate, DeCarla Heard, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Western Division, called for a jury trial to give out damages for the incident.
The other two men named are former Alabama player Darius Miles and Michael Davis, who are both facing murder charges for the death of Harris, a Jan. 15 incident in Tuscaloosa for which Miller — the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft — was not charged.
Harris was killed in the early hours of the morning when Miles allegedly opened fire at a car she was riding near the university’s campus while she was visiting a family member.
The lawsuit alleges that Davis and Miller “knew or should have known that bringing a dangerous weapon to a dispute and discharging said weapon would likely result in harm,” according to ESPN.
It also alleges that Harris’ injuries and death were “a direct or proximate consequence of the negligence or wantonness of each of the defendants.”
“They would like to hear testimony from all three of the young men involved concerning what they did, said and saw,” Kirby D. Farris, one of the lawyers representing Heard, said, according to ESPN. “The family would like the opportunity, through their attorneys, to investigate why and how the gun was brought to the scene of a confrontation that resulted in the death of their daughter. Once we have had the opportunity to evaluate the evidence in the case, we can make decisions about the degree of culpability, if any, of each.”
In a statement, Heard’s attorneys also said the family has questions they still want answered.
“Words will never accurately describe the heartbreak we feel in the wake of Jamea’s devastating and unnecessary death,” the statement read, per AL.com. “We have several unanswered questions surrounding the events leading to the shooting death of our daughter and our is hope to get answers.”
Farris’ firm has contacted the attorneys of Davis and Miles and has also spoken to an attorney representing the Hornets, where Miller is about to begin his rookie season.
“Am I surprised that this lawsuit has been filed? No,” Davis’ attorney John Robbins said, according to ESPN. “I haven’t reviewed the lawsuit but Michael will take the appropriate steps to defend himself in this lawsuit as he is in the criminal case.”
In a February hearing, a police investigator testified that Miller was at the scene of the crime and that the gun used in the killing of Harris came from the back of Miller’s car.
In response, Miller’s attorney, Jim Standridge, said then that Miller had “no knowledge of any intent to use the weapon” and that he “never touched the gun” nor was involved in its “exchange.”
Standridge also said Miller never saw or handled the gun, adding that it was “concealed” under some clothing in the back seat.
Miller signed a contract in July worth $49 million over four years with Charlotte after being taken No. 2 overall in this summer’s draft.
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