A Rhode Island state senator was arrested last week after allegedly vandalizing a car that had a “Biden sucks” bumper sticker, claiming he was “dared” to do it by the victim.
Sen. Joshua Miller, 69, was shown in surveillance footage keying a car at the Garden City Center in Cranston, Rhode Island, last Thursday, according to police.
The unidentified son of the man who owns the car told police he heard a scratching noise when walking back to his SUV and saw Miller with keys in hand. After asking Miller if he keyed the vehicle, he said Miller denied it and walked away.
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When police encountered Miller about two hours later, he denied vandalizing the vehicle and let the police look at his keys to check for paint transfer, according to body camera video obtained by Fox News.
Miller told police that he thought the victim recognized him and was one of the “gun nuts” who he claims are stalking him for sponsoring anti-gun legislation. He also accused the victim of making threats toward him.
“He was blocking my way, saying that I scratched his car, I didn’t scratch his car,” Miller said. “I’m a state senator, I think he recognized me. I think he’s one of the gun nuts.”
Miller is also seen name-dropping police Col. Michael Winquist in the video, telling police to call him as he was aware of the threats against Miller from “gun nuts.”
The Cranston Police Department disputed his claim in a press release posted to social media.
“Mr. Miller never reported any threats to Colonel Winquist or any member of the Cranston Police Department,” the statement reads.
“Nobody is above the law, including those who make and enforce the laws,” Winquist added in the release. “The officers who handled this investigation did so with fairness, integrity, and without preferential treatment.”
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Miller, who is the Senate Democrat policy chairman and leads the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, represents District 28 (which includes where the incident took place) and was first elected to his position in 2006. He sponsored Senate Bill 379, introduced on Feb. 16, 2023, that bans the possession, sale and transfer of assault weapons.
In a body camera video released by the Cranston Police Department, the victim arrives back to the scene and identifies Miller as the vandal. He also told police that he did not recognize Miller as a state legislator. His mother pointed out that she thinks the vandal didn’t like her “Biden sucks” bumper sticker when initially reporting the incident to police.
The press release says the victim noticed Miller’s “Re-elect Senator John Miller” bumper sticker on his car, leading to him search the state senator’s name on the internet and realizing that Miller was the man he had just encountered.
The officers initially released Miller until they could get access to security footage, but once they viewed it, they said it corroborated the witness’s account.
Police later arrived at Miller’s house and questioned him about the footage. In another body cam footage video, Miller is seen admitting to being the vandal, claiming again that he was threatened and the victim “dared him” to key his car.
“What’s the reason to key the car, though, that’s the question?” a police officer asks in the footage.
“Because he was daring me to, basically,” Miller responded.
Miller voluntarily went to the police station where he was charged with a vandalism/malicious injury to property misdemeanor. He was arraigned and released on $1,000 personal recognizance. He is due in court on July 18, 2023, for re-arraignment.
Miller did not return a request for comment in time for publication.
Click here to see more of the footage of the incident with Miller.
