“Where’s thehanging treeyou wanna hang people like me at?” asked aBlack manduring analtercationin Virginia City, Nevada, last Friday (August 2).
HighlightsA Nevada family was arrested after a viral TikTok showed them making racist remarks to a Black man in Virginia City.Gary, Janis, and Tiffany Miller were arrested and charged with offenses ranging from Breach of Peace to obstructing a peace officer.Ricky Johnson, the victim, received community support and started a GoFundMe to cover legal fees for suing the Millers.
Now three individuals, the senior citizen, and two of his family members have been arrested after the TikTok clip went viral.
“I want them charged. That’s the justice I want — them charged. And I want it put out that this is not going to be accepted in Virginia City, Nevada. It’s not going to be accepted here. It’s not going to be accepted anywhere,” said the offended man, identified as Ricky Johnson, in an interview withFox 11.
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A Nevada family was arrested after a TikTok clip went viral showing them telling a Black man that they had “a hanging tree for people like [him]” in their backyard
Image credits:Aerial Film Studio/stock.adobe.com
“I don’t make trash. I burn it,” the senior citizencontinued, unrelenting in his mockery while the rest backed him up. The situation quickly escalated as a mob of white people started pushing the offended man away from the store, in front of which the first insult was thrown, and into the street.
“Do you know where you are? Do you know the history of our city?” said Tiffany Miller, issuing aveiled threat.
Gary Miller, 75, has since been charged with a gross misdemeanor for Breach of Peace under Nevada Law, Janis Miller, 67, with a battery charge, and their daughter, Tiffany Miller, 45, with obstructing a peace officer.
Image credits:unclerickyd1
Johnson stated in an interview withKRNVthat he was asking people to sign a petition to get an issue on the November ballot when theracist remarkswere thrown at him.
“The first thing that this guy said was, ‘Get the f*** out of my face,’ with the N-word,” he explained.
The Virginia City Commission was quick to condemn the behavior in an official statement released the following day (August 3).
“We want to make clear that we find this behavior abhorrent and inexcusable. We stand wholly against any acts of hatred,racismor violence.”
Upon releasing the family’s mugshots, Mike Cullen, the sheriff of Storey County, alsostatedthat “[their] office does not tolerate hate orracistspeech of any kind toward any person or group of persons,” and he explained that the incident and all available evidence are still under investigation.
Cullen also revealed that his office, with the support of the State of Nevada, has been put in the awkward position of having to look into threats and harassment being directed toward other community members seen in the TikTok clip following its virality and the almost universal scorn it garnered during the last week.
Further details of the offending family have surfaced as both the media and community launched their own investigations following the racially charged quarrel
Image credits:Yelp.com
Virginia city commission makes a statement about the incident:pic.twitter.com/DAewiAhSe3
— J Wise (@JWiseKingRa)August 4, 2024
Image credits:Storey County Sheriff’s Office
Gary and Janis Miller are husband and wife, and they are listed as the owners of 171 S. C Street and 161 S. C Street in Virginia City, according to Storey County Assessorrecords.
The Millers operate aslandlordsafter buying the property for $2.3 million on March 1, 2024, and they are currently renting it to Firehouse Grill Saloon & Grill.
The Saloon came under fire after internet sleuths were able to connect it to the controversial couple, and it was forced to put out an official statement on Facebook.
“We absolutely support Everyone, we do not discriminate in any way,” it reads.
The family’s tax records list a Minden address in Douglas County as the couple’s official residence.
Gary Miller used to work as a manager at a limited liability company (LLC) in Minden, while his wife, Janis, worked as a Catholic school teacher at Grace School and Our Lady of Grace Church in Castro Valley and the Catholic Diocese of Oakland, according to public records.
After his video went viral, Ricky Johnson received widespread support from the community, and he has started a fundraising campaign to help with legal fees as he seeks to sue the Millers
Johnson started aGoFundMe pagewith the intent of funding legal action against the offending party.
“On August 2nd, 2024 I was in a situation where I dealt withracismwhile doing my job. I recorded and posted the video on TikTok to show the people that racism is still in effect in 2024,” the page reads.
“This whole situation still seems unreal; it was very traumatic and scary for me. I would like to seek help and hire an attorney to sue and get justice. Thanks for all the love and support. Sincerely Uncle Ricky.”
The campaign has raised $45,199 out of a goal of $100,000 at the time of writing, with more than 1,700 individual donations.
Image credits:KRNV News 4
“You are such an incredible and just good person. The way you dealt with that pure hatred you faced – I don’t think anyone would have dealt with that garbage with such grace and dignity, but you did,” one donor wrote.
“The people (in the video) are arrested but we all know they deserve much more coming to them, and it couldn’t come soon enough- financially and socially, they need to be sued,” wrote another.
“The pain in your voice was almost exactly like the pain in my son’s voice the first time he was called a racial slur… it still makes me cry, 7 years later, to remember the hurt and confusion he felt,” shared another.
“That whole town feels evil,” writes one viewer as others join them in condemnation of the treatment Johnson received in Virginia City
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