Nevada Family Arrested After Viral Racial Incident in Virginia City
- BY Dhiren
- August 12, 2024
- Read in 3 Minutes
A racist fight in Virginia City went viral over the weekend, prompting the arrest of three family members in a rural Nevada county.
On August 7, the Storey County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nevada Family including Janis, Gary, and Tiffany Miller on multiple charges.
Ricky Johnson reported that during a Hot August Nights celebration in Virginia City on August 2, while he was gathering petition signatures, the Millers shouted a racist term at him and attacked him.
The inquiry quickly passed on to the local district attorney’s office, and soon after, three warrants for arrest obtained for the family.
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Gary Miller charged with breach of peace and unlawful conduct based on actual or perceived race. In contrast, his wife Janis accused of violence, and their daughter Tiffany charged with delaying a peace officer, both of which are misdemeanors.
Johnson said that during a Hot August Nights event, he approached the Miller group to collect signatures for a planned Nevada ballot item.
“It’s not going to be accepted anywhere,” he said. “He responded to me, ‘I have a hanging tree in my backyard for n like (you)’,” Johnson recalled.
Johnson immediately began filming a video, which has seen over one million times on TikTok. The video starts with Johnson asking the man, subsequently identified as Gary Miller, to show him where the hanging tree is.
Miller reacts by stating that the hanging tree is in Johnson’s backyard.
In the video, Miller’s wife, Janis, touches Johnson’s arm and directs him away from the garage where the initial dispute happened. Johnson described it as an attack and urged for charges chased.
“I want them prosecuted. That’s the justice I want: them charged. And I want to clarify that this will not be acceptable in Virginia City, Nevada. It will not accept here. “It’s not going to be accepted anywhere,” he said.
Hot August Nights criticized the Millers’ actions and permanently banned them from the yearly event.
Watch the whole conversation with Ricky Johnson below:
The Storey County Sheriff’s Office stated that they are still reviewing all the evidence supplied, including information before the original video recordings. They’re asking anyone who may have witnessed the event to come forward.
With the assistance of the state, they are creating a list of threatening and abusive phone calls. This list includes calls that the sheriff’s office has received since the event.
They stated that after gathering all of the relevant evidence, they would examine each case separately. Based on the facts, they would then decide whether or not to conduct separate investigations.
Aaron Ford, Nevada Attorney General and a Black man, made the following remark after the Nevada Family member Millers arrested:
Just recently, many people engaged in the Virginia City violence over the weekend got served with arrest warrants and detained in the local jail.
The public has expressed loud and clear outrage. Efforts made to hold those individuals accountable for their racist and illegal behavior.
I respect Sheriff Cullen and his officers for their prompt response to the situation that caused these outrages. And I appreciate all the calls, emails, and social media comments that show concern and oppose prejudice and discrimination.
Unfortunately, my office has received reports of threats of violence meant toward Storey County residents and police enforcement.
While I appreciate the intense feelings surrounding this scenario, calmer heads must win. Any form of violent threat is unacceptable to me.