Kinston family demands answers for teen killed

KINSTON, Lenoir County -

At 4:00 p.m. Thursday, a news conference will be held on the one month anniversary of the shooting death of Deriante Miller.

Deriante Miller,18, died in a shooting outside of Club Aries in Kinston on March 27th. Officials said Miller ran towards Trooper William Hardison with a gun when Hardison responded to a shooting call at the club.

Trooper Hardison said Miller did not stop when ordered. But the Miller family has said the shooting is unjustified.

The family is holding a news conference at the State Highway Patrol Office in Kinston to demand answers and file information requests.

Along with the Miller family, the Pitt County Coalition Against Racism, Workers World Party and concerned citizens of the Kinston community are set to attend the news conference.

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The family of an 18-year-old shot and killed by a North Carolina State Trooper held a rally to draw attention to what they say is racial injustice. Deriante Miller died March 27th in the shooting outside Club Aries in Kinston.

Officials say Miller had a gun and ran toward Trooper William Hardison when Hardison responded to a shooting call at the club. The trooper said Miller did not stop when ordered, but the family said that shooting was unjustified.

About 75 people came out to support the family as they held a rally on Wednesday to draw attention to his death in Kinston. The family says his shooting is the result of racism. Miller's cousin says the 18-year-old did not deserve to die.

"He was a good person," Hausaun Jones said. "All he wanted to do was play sports, make music, get his mama a better life, his sisters, his niece."

After the shooting officials released a statement saying, "this type of incident is a reminder of the serious and dangerous situations our trooper face every single day. We are saddened by the loss of life but grateful that our trooper is safe."

But one of Miller's friends said he doesn't believe Miller would not have followed a trooper's order.

The internal investigation in this case is ongoing. Trooper Hardison has been placed on administrative duty during that investigation.

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