Several witnesses testified this week in an immunity hearing for former Alabama Crimson Tide basketball player Darius Miles, who has been charged with capital murder alongside childhood friend Micheal Lynn Davis for the shooting of Jamea Harris in January.
Harris' shooting occurred on Grace Street near Tuscaloosa's The Strip, home to several bars frequented by University of Alabama (UA) students, such as Rounders and the Bear Trap.
Miles has been accused of knowingly providing Davis with a handgun, which he later used in a shootout with Harris' boyfriend, Cedric Johnson, in which Davis was also shot twice. This has raised questions about who, if anyone, was acting in self-defense.
According to reports, Miles is asking the court to drop his charges using the state's "Stand Your Ground Laws," which do not require one under serious threat to attempt to retreat before using lethal force.
Defense attorneys have suggested Miles offered the weapon to Davis out of fear for his safety. They have maintained Miles saw Harris hand a pistol to Johnson after a verbal altercation.
After Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet issued a bench warrant, officers located Shu'Bonte Greene, a friend of Johnson's who was seen on The Strip on the night of Harris' death, in Birmingham and brought him to court in Tuscaloosa County.
The defendant's attorneys asked Greene about video evidence, which he said showed a man retrieving a shotgun from the trunk of Greene's car while parked behind dumpsters on Grace Street. Greene denied any knowledge of the incident.
According to Patch, Greene admitted to having ties to gangs. He said Johnson had gang ties as well. Nevertheless, he said they quit the gang after joining. Greene spoke about his past criminal record, which he stressed has never included murder.
Prosecutors announced Monday that they will not seek the death penalty in Miles' case.
Issues with witnesses urged Pruet to set Miles' pre-trial immunity hearing to resume on September 29.
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