缅北禁地

Vigil held for Donora man who died following police incident

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A balloon release was held on Friday at a vigil for John Miller of Donora. [Karen Mansfield]

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A vigil was held for John "Koo Koo" Miller, who died March 22. [Karen Mansfield]

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Dana Miller, left, speaks at a vigil for her brother, John Miller, who died on March 22, days after an incident with Donora Police. [Karen Mansfield]

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April Straughters spoke at a vigil held Friday for John Miller of Donora, who died on March 22 following an incident with police at Donora Towers. [Karen Mansfield]

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A vigil was held outside Donora Towers for John Miller, who died following a March 17 police incident. [Karen Mansfield]

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Friends, family and community members held red balloons and candles Friday evening, as they came together to grieve the death of John 鈥淜oo Koo鈥� Miller, who died on March 22, five days after being tased by a Donora Borough police officer.

鈥淲hat happened to him should never have happened to him. This was so uncalled for, so unnecessary,鈥� said Ruth Davenport, who had been friends with Miller since childhood. 鈥淲e need answers.鈥�

More than 60 people gathered across the street from the Donora Towers in memory of the 57-year-old Miller, who never regained consciousness after an officer tased him in the back on March 17 after he ran from police.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner said Miller died at 10:55 p.m. at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was hospitalized after becoming unresponsive 鈥渨hile in police custody.鈥�

Miller鈥檚 sister, Dana Miller, said she feels lost without her brother, who had lived with her in Phoenix, Ariz., for about nine months before returning to Donora 13 days before the St. Patrick鈥檚 Day incident.

鈥淚 sort of feel guilty for letting him come back because I do have a big influence on him and the decisions he makes,鈥� said Miller, who, although she was the youngest of five children, often looked after her brother.

She said she wants answers about what happened and why.

Neighbors said police were called to the high-rise for an unrelated incident when they spotted Miller.

Dana Miller said her brother was facing a DUI charge, stemming from a March 2025 incident.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not the perfect person, but he鈥檚 loved. He was helpful, he was kind, he knew everyone,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is definitely a loss. I鈥檓 definitely going to miss him. He was my brother, my best friend, and he鈥檚 going to be missed.鈥�

April Straughters, a friend of Miller鈥檚, said she wants Miller to be remembered as a kind-hearted man.

鈥淚f you knew Koo Koo, he was very kind-hearted, he loved to lift people up,鈥� she said. 鈥� Sometimes, your life story takes a turn, and tragedy happens for a purpose. We鈥檝e got to make sure we not only get answers for him, but to make sure this never happens to anyone else.鈥�

The vigil concluded with a balloon release.

The Washington County District Attorney鈥檚 Office and Donora Borough Police Department said the incident is being investigated by state police in Belle Vernon.