Charlotte Hornets rookie named in wrongful death lawsuit with season opener looming
Charlotte Hornets rookie Brandon Miller has been named as a defendant in a wrongful death suit filed by the mother of a woman who was killed in Alabama earlier this year.
The federal lawsuit, which also names ex-Alabama men’s basketball player Darius Miles and Miles’ friend Michael Davis as defendants, was filed on Friday on behalf of DeCarla Heard, the mother of Jamea Harris. According to Al.com, the suit alleges Miller, along with Miles and Davis, are guilty of negligence and their actions “allowed, permitted or contributed to cause (Jamea Harris) to be in a dangerous situation that would foreseeably cause her harm.”
In January, Miller was at the scene of a shooting in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, that left Heard’s daughter dead. Police say the gun used to shoot and kill Harris was brought to the scene by Miller.
Miller was not charged in connection with the homicide, but Miles and Davis are facing capital murder charges in the case. Miller was heavily scrutinized as he climbed up many draft boards and the Hornets met with him twice to gather information about the situation before selecting him No. 2 overall in June.
Mitch Kupchak, Charlotte’s president of basketball operations/GM, and vice president of basketball operations/assistant GM Buzz Peterson traveled to Alabama in June seeking clarity and insisted they came away convinced about Miller’s character.
Kupchak, speaking not long after the Hornets selected Miller, insisted they were satisfied with everything they saw and heard during their fact-finding process.
“With a pick this high and this valuable, we do a lot of background work and do a lot of due diligence,” Kupchak said after the draft. “We contact a lot of people. … Over the course of the year, we do a good job of investigation, whether it’s reading the newspaper or going to games. You talk to people and you bump into people.
“We’re comfortable going with Brandon Miller on and off the court.”
The lawsuit’s filing comes just days before Miller and the Hornets open the regular season against Atlanta on Wednesday.
