The trial for Michael Davis, who is being charged with the murder of Jamea Harris on the Strip in 2023, began at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Monday. Former Crimson Tide basketball player Darius Miles, Davis’ childhood friend who allegedly provided him with the handgun that killed Harris, will be tried separately.
Jury selection began Monday with a pool of 70 jurors and continued until the full panel was selected Tuesday. Critical witness Cedric Johnson, Harris’ then boyfriend and father of her child, was present Monday for jury selection.
Johnson was driving Harris’ Jeep while she remained in the passenger’s seat at the time of the shooting just before 2 a.m. on Jan. 15, 2023. Following an earlier confrontation with Johnson, Davis allegedly shot into the Jeep, killing Harris. The prosecution alleges that Davis, who sustained a gunshot wound, shot first, though the defense disputes that.
The defense and prosecution gave their opening statements Tuesday afternoon.
“At the heart, this case is about one thing: an ambush. A cold, calculated ambush that resulted in the death of Jamea Harris,” said Cristen Mejia, Tuscaloosa County assistant district attorney.
Mejia said the defendant was “hunting” when he and Miles allegedly went to get a gun from former Crimson Tide basketball player Brandon Miller’s car.
John Robbins, one of Davis’ attorneys, said it was Johnson who went “hunting” after becoming upset that Davis had danced in front of his girlfriend.
“The prosecution wants you to have tunnel vision about the facts of this case,” he said.
Robbins said the case was really about Johnson’s pride, ego or insecurity, claiming that it was Johnson who provoked the event by making Davis feel threatened enough to open fire.
Asia Humphrey, Harris’ cousin who was in the Jeep on the night of the shooting, was the first witness called by the prosecution. Humphrey was a junior at the University when Johnson and Harris came from Birmingham to visit. She testified that the three of them went to Twelve25, a bar on the Strip, for about two hours before leaving to get food.
Humphrey said she and Harris left Johnson, who was still waiting outside for food, and went to pick up the Jeep. She said she drove to the stop sign at the intersection of Grace Street and University Boulevard between CVS and The Houndstooth bar and waited for Johnson to return.
The prosecution provided footage from city cameras of a man dancing in front of the Jeep at the intersection after Johnson entered the backseat of the car minutes before the fatal incident occurred. Humphrey identified Davis as the man dancing.
The video, which had no sound, showed the man identified as Davis approach the Jeep to speak to Johnson. Humphrey said Johnson rolled down his window, saying, “Nah, they’re good, bro,” to which Davis replied, “I don’t want your girl,” but she was uncertain what else was said. The video then shows Davis walk away.
Later, three men, whom Humphrey said were friends of Harris and her, approached the car, the video showed. Humphrey said the men “jokingly” asked Harris for her phone number before Johnson was seen exiting the car to walk over to the men, who then walked away. Humphrey testified that at some point while in the Jeep at the intersection but before Johnson exited the car, Harris passed a gun to him.
Johnson and Humphrey later in the video are seen switching places in the car, before Johnson drove the car behind The Houndstooth. A second video, surveillance footage from The Houndstooth, shows Johnson get out of the car and approach a red car with its trunk open. The defense argued that in the trunk was a shotgun that one of Johnson’s friends used to shoot at Davis minutes later.
The Houndstooth video then showed Johnson drive the Jeep and circle back onto Grace Street, this time headed away from University Boulevard, before two cars pulled up, one behind the other, on Grace Street. The prosecution alleged that these two cars belonged to Miller and former Crimson Tide basketball player Jaden Bradley, who had allegedly gone out with Davis and Miles that night, and that Davis and Miles retrieved a gun from Miller’s car at this point.
The final part of the video that played during Humphrey’s direct examination showed Johnson drive back in the direction of the two cars after making a U-turn at the end of Grace Street, before a man, allegedly Davis, ran behind the Jeep and fired into the driver’s side window.
The trial will continue Wednesday with the prosecution’s second witness.
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