Black Amazon Driver Says Two White Women Assaulted Her on the Job
An African American delivery driver for Amazon says she was assaulted by two White women as she was trying to do her job at an apartment complex in Houston and police are now investigating the incident, according to reports.
Jamaiya Miller, told local station KHOU that she was on a delivery run in the posh River Oaks community on Dec. 16. When she got to one residence, an individual who lived there let her in but when she reached the flood where a package was to be delivered, that same resident told her she couldn’t be there. Another resident approached her and assaulted her, she said.
"She was hitting me with her phone, making all sorts of claims, and she was also literally preventing me from going anywhere," said Miller, 25. A Tik Tok video she posted shows one of the women confronting her saying, “we’ve had thieves here and you’re a thief!”
She snaps at the women, telling them not to touch her, but they ignore her. It is unclear if they made any statements about her race at any point.
“It was the scariest thing because I didn't know how it was going to end,” said Miller, according to KHOU. "It just looked like such a wild scene with me, the Black woman, with these two rich White ladies. So honestly, that was the most terrifying part, is the lengths at which they were willing to go physically assaulting me.”
Miller was wearing an Amazon vest, which should have indicated that she was working with the company on deliveries. She also said that she opted not to react physically to her alleged attackers.
“Imagining myself hitting that old woman in the moment. Doesn’t make me feel good. Imagining if I had done that. Doesn't bring me a good feeling,” she said. “I'm glad I handled it the way that I did so that it is clear who the attacker was."
MIller said a doorman intervened and pulled the women apart, which allowed her to leave and call 911.
Amazon responded to the incident saying in a statement to the station: “The events depicted in this video are concerning. We’re supporting the delivery partner and working with law enforcement as they investigate. We proactively communicate to drivers who deliver for Amazon that they are never required to make a delivery if they feel unsafe.”
Houston Police said they would investigate and consult with every involved party and refer the case to the District Attorney.
Miller said that her instructions were to deliver the package to a suite at Belle Meade, the apartment complex where the incident took place. But managers there released their own statement to KHOU saying that goes against their rules for delivery of packages.
“The Belle Meade at River Oaks policy is that all packages and parcels are to be delivered to the concierge desk. To the best of our understanding, a resident mistakenly allowed the Amazon delivery driver onto a restricted-access elevator and a resident hallway within the building, where the event took place,” the managers said. “At this time, we are exploring all options and fully cooperating with the Houston Police Department.”
