An hourslong standoff between Mixed Martial Arts fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller and SWAT officers ended Thursday with Miller surrendering after authorities blew the locks off the front door of the suspect’s Mission Viejo home.
When Orange County sheriff’s deputies tried to take him into custody on an arrest warrant in a domestic violence and stalking case about 10:30 a.m., he ran back into his home and has refused to come out, Orange County sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said.
About 2:15 p.m., SWAT officers placed a device on his door that blew off the locks, prompting Miller to surrender, Hallock said.
Miller’s attorney, Joseph H. Low IV, told City News Service the raid was unnecessary.
“Jason had been under the care of a doctor for an illness,” Low said. “He has been waiting for me to come back to town so that we could go back to court to continue to prove his innocence. I wish the police had informed me of their raid. We could have saved the taxpayers a lot of money. There was no reason at all for them to get all dressed up in their SWAT costumes.”
Throughout the conflict, Miller Tweeted about the standoff from his home at 26262 Avenida Calidad.
Some of his Tweets include:
COME ONE COME ALL, JOIN @OCSD AT THE POLICE BLOCK PARTY. SEE MILITARY MIGHT IN SUBURBIA. 26262 AVENIDA CALIDAD, MISSION VIEJO, TANKS, ROBOTS
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
I did nothing wrong. This is the state of American Justice. I feel you black men. They fear, so they threaten to take our lives. Abhorrent.
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
i now see a literal Armored Personal Carrier pulling up. They tryna to murder me. I just want a peaceful solution.
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
I WISH YOU NO HARM. I respect the Police, but this is overkill, for something that would be settled with one piece of paperwork from OCBAIL
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
ALL THIS because I wanted to help raise a young boy into a man, and his mama wenr off her meds, and an ambitious DA thinks mayhem is BAD.
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
They have threatened me with a dog bite and are amassing a great force that includes a spotter in the neighbors yard and an uncharasmaticman
— mayhem miller (@mayhemmiller) October 9, 2014
Just before he surrendered, Miller Tweeted, “They are gearing up like the Bin Laden raid, and I just want to be heard in court, to dispel all of the lies.”
He also Tweeted to sheriff’s deputies, “They threw a phone box threw a plate glass window. Disrespect. I would like to give up, but not with 50 RAMBOS out there. Not cool.”
He also vowed to have the sheriff pay for the damage to his home in one of his Tweets.
Miller is facing two counts of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and stalking, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of violating a protective order, according to court records. He was last due in court Sept. 8 for a pretrial hearing, but he was declared a fugitive and a warrant for his arrest was issued.
Court records show a $200,000 bond was forfeited on Sept. 8.
This wasn’t the first brush with the law for Miller, 33, who had vandalism charges against him dismissed in 2012, but found himself in trouble with the law again for the domestic violence case in August of last year.
A misdemeanor vandalism charge against Miller was dismissed Nov. 21, 2012, after he was accused in August of 2012 of breaking at least one picture frame and damaging a propane tank and other items while spray-painting inside Mission Hills Church, causing at least $400 in damage.
Miller was arrested in August of 2012 when the church’s pastor called sheriff’s deputies to report he found books and CDs scattered throughout the Alicia Parkway church, along with broken picture frames and fire extinguisher dust on the first and second floors.
Miller, who was an Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor, was found on the second floor nude, although he did have some sort of cloth wrapped around him.
— City News Service