Killer Cop Or Gentle Hairdresser? The Differing Images of a Fired Officer

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ARLINGTON (CBS11 I-TEAM) - Before he was thrust into the spotlight of yet another white-on-black fatal police shooting, rookie Arlington Officer Brad Miller was a hair stylist, known by his co-workers as a gentle colleague who gave them flowers on Mother's Day.

The CBS 11 I-Team has learned Miller, 49, holds two state licenses – one as a lawman, commissioned to carry a gun, and one as a cosmetologist, commissioned to work in a beauty salon.

When news erupted that Miller, while on duty as an Arlington policeman, shot and killed a young, unarmed black man during a burglary call, his former co-workers at Razldazl Salon in Arlington were shocked.

"It was heartbreaking …my heart breaks for every single person involved," said an emotional Ingrid Skoczlas, stylist and co-owner of Razldazl.

Her business partner, hair stylist Nicole Parker, added: "On Mother's Day, he'd bring us girls flowers from the garden. He loved being in the garden and outside. He was just an all-around good guy."

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson has fired Miller, saying he used poor judgment early Friday in events that led to Miller fatally shooting 19-year-old Christian Taylor, who was unarmed as he allegedly broke into an Arlington car dealership.

Miller is white and Taylor, an accomplished football lineman for the Angelo State University Rams in San Angelo, was black.

The shooting has triggered protests, with some calling on Miller to be criminally charged.

But at the Razldazl, where Miller cut and styled hair for five years, he was seen as a model employee who worked hard to please his co-workers and his customers.

He was known for his love of gardening, his penchant to give away his home-grown flowers and his delight in dressing up for costume parties, they said.

"He was there when you needed him. When something went wrong at the salon – light bulbs needed changed or anything – he would be the one who did it," Parker said.

It was at the hair salon that Miller began telling co-workers about his strong desire to become a police officer, and his efforts to get accepted at the Arlington police academy.

"He was really excited. He worked hard to get in. He was really happy, and we were all happy for him," Skoczlas said.

She and Parker said they knew Miller as someone who had no qualms switching careers, moving from the business and "corporate world," to becoming a hair stylist.

So they said it did not surprise them when he took another turn, at middle age, moving from being a cosmetologist to being a crime fighter.

State records show Miller had only been a fully licensed peace officer for five months, meaning he still was on "rookie" status and required to be accompanied by a senior officer as his trainer.

Chief Johnson noted that one of Miller's poor decisions came when he separated from his trainer, and other officers dispatched to the burglary scene, and confronted Taylor alone inside the auto dealership.

Miller remains a licensed cosmetologist with the state until Sept. 18, 2016, according to records obtained by the I-Team.
If you want to reach CBS 11′s Senior Investigative Producer Jack Douglas Jr., you can email him at jdouglas@cbs.com. If you want to reach CBS 11′s Jason Allen, you can email him at jmallen@cbs.com.