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Mississippi AG says officer's shooting of 1‑year‑old Kohen Wiley was 'justified'

newsOct 19, 202622904

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that a police officer’s use of force that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia on June 14 was justified, marking the conclusion of the state’s investigation. Senatobia police had responded to a call about someone trying to steal diapers involving Wiley’s mother and his great-aunt. Wiley sat in his mother’s lap inside a car when an officer fired toward the vehicle; Wiley and his great-aunt were struck and Wiley died from his injuries. The officer who fired was placed on administrative leave. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assigned five agents, gathered witness statements, and reviewed body-camera, dashcam, and Walmart surveillance video. State investigators’ initial account says officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver drove in the direction of officers almost striking one, an officer then discharged their weapon, and the vehicle fled the scene. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump questioned the shooting, noting officers reported seeing two women and a child get into the car and asking why an officer would shoot knowing a child was inside.

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