Nevada family arrested after racial incident in Virginia City goes viral

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Three family members were arrested in a rural Nevada county after a racial incident in Virginia City went viral over the weekend.

The Storey County Sheriff's Office arrested Janis, Gary and Tiffany Miller on August 7 on various charges after Ricky Johnson said they called him a racial slur and assaulted him at a Hot August Nights event in Virginia City on August 2 while he was collecting signatures on a petition.

The investigation was quickly turned over to the local district attorney's office and three arrest warrants were issued for the family shortly thereafter.

Gary Miller is charged with breach of the peace and an unlawful act because of actual or perceived race, his wife Janis is facing a battery charge and their daughter Tiffany is facing a delaying a peace officer charge -- all three of which are misdemeanors.

In an interview with News 4-Fox 11 on Monday, Johnson said he wanted all parties involved in this incident charged.

Johnson said he approached the Miller group collecting signatures for a proposed ballot measure in Nevada during a Hot August Nights event.

"The first thing that this guy said was 'Get the f*** out of my face with the N-word.' I said, 'What the f*** did you say?' He replied back to me 'I have a hanging tree in my backyard for n****** like (you)'" Johnson said.

Johnson then started recording a video that has since been watched over 1 million times on TikTok. The clip begins with Johnson asking the man, later identified as Gary Miller, to repeat where the hanging tree is. Miller responds by saying the hanging tree is in Johnson's backyard.

Miller's wife Janis was also seen in the video touching Johnson on the arm and ushering Johnson away from the garage where the initial incident happened. Johnson said it was an assault and called for charges to be filed.

"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 nowhere," he said.

Hot August Nights condemned the behavior and ended up banning the Millers from the annual event permanently.

You can watch our full interview with Ricky Johnson below:

The Storey County Sheriff's Office said they continue to look at all the information presented an all the information proceeding the initial video recordings. They're urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

With the help of the state, they're also compiling the threatening and harassing phone calls that the sheriff's office continues to receive after the incident. They added as they compile all the necessary information, they will look at each case individually and either move forward with separate investigations or not depending on the circumstances.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is Black, released the following statement after the Millers were arrested,

Just a while ago, several individuals involved in the Virginia City incident over the weekend were served with arrest warrants and detained at the local jail.

The public outcry was heard loud and clear, and steps have been taken to hold these individuals accountable for their racist and unlawful actions. I commend Sheriff Cullen and his deputies for their responsiveness to the incident giving rise to these outcries. And I appreciate all the calls, emails and comments on social media expressing concerns and denouncing racism and hatred.

Unfortunately, my office has also received reports of threats of violence directed towards Storey County community members and law enforcement. While I understand heightened emotions regarding this situation, cooler heads must prevail. I do not condone threats of violence of any kind.