Mica Miller protesters at Myrtle Beach, SC church sprayed by sprinklers, claim assault
Protesters outside Solid Rock Church at Market Common in Myrtle Beach were sprayed with a sprinkler by what appears to be a church member Sunday morning, leading some to press charges.
A TikTok video posted by a person who goes by the name Guru showed protesters at the church and a person who grabs a sprinkler and sprays them. Myrtle Beach Police were on the scene. Several people claimed to file assault charges against the church member.
Myrtle Beach Police could not be reached for comment Sunday.
People have been protesting against the church and its former pastor, John-Paul Miller, since the beginning of June. In April, Mica Miller, John-Paul Miller’s wife, committed suicide, according to police.
On Sunday morning, John-Paul Miller allegedly set up sprinklers around Solid Rock Church grounds before the church service, according to Guru. Protesters showed up, standing along the sidewalk outside the church before the morning service. There was also a man dressed as Jesus.
“These people are not protesting. Solid Rock believes in the right to protest. These people are pagans who are trying to stop Christian’s from worshipping. They slander, they speak evil lies, they take pictures of children, and they wear masks while standing in front of parishioners who try to enter and leave the house of the Lord. These vicious pagans stand in the streets, use illegal blow horns, and laugh at the city police because the city is doing nothing to stop them from harassing Christians who simply want to worship together for one hour,” John-Paul Miller wrote in an email to The Sun News. “They make a mockery of the Christian faith having a man dressed up like Jesus walk around scaring innocent parishioners as they enter church.”
A video uploaded by Guru to TikTok shows a church member picking up a sprinkler and spraying water into the faces of several people for a few seconds as the group shouts, “No people, no church.” The man then puts the sprinkler back on the ground and a Myrtle Beach Police officer moves the sprinkler head farther away from the group. The man and the officer then walk off.
Guru said six were sprayed and, of those, five filed assault charges against the man. The charges have not yet been confirmed with Myrtle Beach Police. The Sun News was not able to get in contact with the people who were sprayed.
Guru livestreamed what happened and uploaded videos to TikTok.
A group of people have been protesting outside Solid Rock Church since June 2. The Sun News visited the first protest and saw people shouting at members as they entered the church for Sunday service.
Alexandra Cuozzo, who organized the June 2 protest, said she wants to see justice for Mica Miller. When asked what justice would look like, Cuozzo said she wants to see John-Paul Miller in jail for his actions.
There have been theories online saying John-Paul Miller allegedly abused Mica Miller and was directly involved in her death despite police ruling it a suicide. John-Paul Miller has denied abusing Mica Miller and was in Charleston the day of her death.
John-Paul Miller said he has tried to speak to the protesters and the city about church members’ right to worship but felt his concerns were dismissed.
“They scream “justice” but have no knowledge of the meaning of that word. They did not even know Mica Miller, nor do they care about the truth behind why she died. They don’t care about mental illness that she suffered, they don’t care about her heart for Africa and the children of Kenya and her home church, and they don’t care about the reason Mica passed away too early,” John-Paul Miller wrote. “Again, we don’t mind them protesting, but we do mind not being allowed to worship Jesus for one hour together, in the city of Myrtle Beach.”
Why are people protesting?
Mica Miller committed suicide on April 27, according to North Carolina officials. In May, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office released a video of her buying a gun before driving from Myrtle Beach to a North Carolina state park. There, she called 911 and told them she was planning to kill herself.
Her body was found in a state park.
Her death has become a national conversation topic, with people making TikToks about her, Facebook groups being started and posts circulating online with the #JusticeForMica.
