Brandon Miller, Jamea Harris, Darius Miles.Photo: Michael Chang/Getty; gofundme; Jonathan Bachman/Getty
As law enforcement continues investigating the shooting death of23-year-old Jamea Harris, the victim’s parents have spoken out against Alabama and head coach Nate Oats for their handling of the situation.
Police delivered testimony of Miller’s involvement on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Alabama allowed Miller, 20, to participate in team activities. He scored 41 points and the game-winning shot in a victory against South Carolina.
On Thursday, Harris' mother,DeCarla Cotton, told USA Today, “It’s just unimaginable, and it’s like his life is just going on. He took a brief pause and it didn’t stop. It’s like, OK, slap on the wrist and go play ball.”
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Cotton told the outlet that Alabama is “worried about his career,” referencing Miller’s potential on the court. “But what about this five-year-old boy?” Cotton said of Harris' son, Kaine. “He’s the true victim in all this. He won’t have a mother anymore to influence his growing up and who he’s going to be.”
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On Tuesday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said, “nobody knew that was going to happen,” regarding the shooting. “Can’t control everything anybody does outside of practice,” he added. “College kids are out; Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time.”
Cotton pointed out to USA Today that having the gun involved at all led to her daughter’s murder. “When somebody says bring a gun to them, what do you think they’re going to do with it?'' she said. “And if there was no gun, she would not be dead.''
Oats subsequently released a statement saying, “In no way did I intend to downplay the seriousness of this situation or the tragedy of that night. My prayers continue to go out to Jamea Harris’s family.''
The coach’s statement did little for Harris' family, they said. “The retraction meant nothing to us,” Heard told USA Today. “Over this five-week period, he has made a habit of making reckless statements.” Heard said that Oats' statements were “not considering the victim in this whole thing, which is Jamea Harris.”
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The investigator claimed that on the day of the shooting, Miles and Davis were in the backseat of Miller’s car while Harris was sitting in the passenger seat of another vehicle, according to theCorvallisGazette-Times.Miles allegedly told Davis where the gun was located inside the car, whereupon Davis allegedly fired the weapon into the car containing Harris, killing her.
Subsequently, the driver of the other vehicle, Harris' boyfriend, Cedric Johnson, shot back in self-defense and wounded Davis, police said, according to theAssociated Press. After his arrest, Miles, a junior reserve, was immediately removed from the Alabama team,the school said in a statement, per the AP.
source: people.com
