Mississippi AG: Officer's Use of Force Justified in Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old
State investigation concludes the officer's actions were justified during a shoplifting call that resulted in the death of Kohen Wiley.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has stated that a Senatobia police officer's use of force was justified during a shoplifting call in June that resulted in the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. The conclusion of the state's investigation comes after months of mourning and calls for justice both nationally and within the community.
The incident occurred when Senatobia officers responded to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart. According to initial reports, officers observed Vellesiya Wiley, Kohen's mother, leaving the store with her son and a friend. Police stated that as they attempted to stop the vehicle the group was in, it drove toward law enforcement, prompting an officer to fire into the car. The gunfire struck both Kohen and his mother's friend.
Vellesiya Wiley has disputed the police account, denying that she or her friend stole anything and asserting that the car was not driven toward the officers. Ben Crump, an attorney representing Kohen's family, has stated that an independent autopsy indicated Kohen was shot from the side of the car, a detail that contradicts the officers' claims.
This shooting has exacerbated existing tensions between the Senatobia police department and the city's Black residents. Recent incidents include a previous confrontation where a Senatobia officer threatened a Black woman with a Taser and arrested her, and another instance where an officer was fired for arresting a 10-year-old Black child for public urination. In a separate recent event, former Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired by the city's board of aldermen following allegations of racist language in private text messages.