Michael Lynn Davis, charged with capital murder in the deadly Strip shooting, is not the “villain” in what happened early Sunday morning, his attorney said Thursday.
Davis, 20, and former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles, 21, are charged with the murder of 23-year-old Jamea Jones Harris.
“Once all the evidence comes out, the public will see and understand who really is the ‘bad guy’ in this tragic situation,” Attorney John Robbins, representing Davis, told AL.com, “and who brought the events to the motion.” , which led to the death of Ms. Harris.”
Here is the full coverage of the case
Davis is from Maryland but lives and works in Alabama.
“My client and his parents are heartbroken at the death of the young lady,” Robbins said. “They send their deepest sympathy and sincere prayers to their family and friends.”
“We ask that everyone withhold judgment until all the facts are known and that the media refrain from portraying Michael as the ‘bad guy,'” Robbins said.
“Michael is a good man from a good family and he intends to vigorously defend himself against these allegations.”
Harris, the mother of a 5-year-old son, was in Tuscaloosa over the weekend to visit her cousin and friend. They had gone to a club and then stopped to eat when she ran into Miles and Davis.
Her mother told AL.com that the suspects tried to speak to her and that she wasn’t interested because she had a boyfriend. The situation escalated and she said the trio were prevented from leaving and one of the suspects approached the car with a gun.
Harris’ friend also had a gun and shots rang out.
Harris was hit once. Her boyfriend was maneuvering her car away from the scene and stopped at the Walk of Champions at Bryant Denny Stadium when he spotted a police car.
It was approximately 1:45 a.m. when Harris was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators determined that the shooting took place on the 400 block of Grace Street off University Boulevard. One of the suspects – believed to be Davis – was also shot but not seriously injured.
Both Miles and Davis were taken into custody later Sunday. They remain incarcerated in the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond.
Witnesses bringing charges against her identified Davis as the shooter, and Miles admitted to providing Davis with a gun immediately before the shooting.
Miles’ attorneys said he was devastated by Harris’ death.
He is represented by attorneys Mary Turner, Kayla Griffin and Grace Prince of Turner Law Group, who released a statement on his behalf on Wednesday.
A preliminary hearing for both suspects has been set for February 7.