Mississippi AG Rules Police Shooting of Infant Justified; Family Disagrees

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation has released body camera footage of the officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in a Walmart parking lot on June 14. The release followed the Mississippi Attorney General's Office's announcement that its investigation concluded the use of force by the Senatobia Police Department was "justified."

The family of Kohen Wiley, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has publicly voiced their disagreement with the attorney general's findings. After viewing the footage privately, the family stated their belief that the officer's actions were "excessive" and "not justified."

"After reviewing that footage, we have made these observations that this was excessive from the very start," Crump said during a press conference. "We are just troubled in our souls that a 1-year-old little angel was taken from us in such a way as this. America, our society must have more empathy for human life. Baby Kohen's life mattered."

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves defended the investigation on Wednesday, stating he had "trust" in the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the state attorney general's office. While Reeves had not viewed the body camera video himself, he noted that investigators found it was "very clear" that "the driver of the vehicle attempted to run over the policeman."

Crump countered that the officer could have avoided the situation by moving and called for a federal investigation.

The Incident

According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers responded to a shoplifting call on June 14 at the Senatobia Walmart. They encountered two adults allegedly fleeing the store with a child and attempting to leave in a vehicle. As officers tried to stop the vehicle, one officer discharged their weapon as the driver "sped toward the officers," the MBI reported in a redacted report released Thursday.

Kohen Wiley was killed, and an adult was critically injured. Crump identified the adults as Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and a friend, neither of whom had been charged. He emphasized that the child's death occurred over an alleged shoplifting of diapers, which he characterized as a misdemeanor that does not warrant such a tragic outcome.

Veronica Roberson, Kohen's maternal grandmother, expressed her disgust after watching the body camera footage. "I feel like we have been done wrong," she stated. "I watched an officer come from the inside of Walmart, not knowing what's going on, and run out with guns drawn. There's no justification for that."

Body Camera and Surveillance Footage

The released footage includes multiple perspectives, including body-worn cameras from officers and surveillance video from the Walmart. The surveillance video shows a store employee confronting two women, one holding a baby, as they exit the store and then run toward a vehicle in the parking lot. The body camera footage shows officers entering the store and then rushing toward the parking lot after being alerted.

The vehicle is seen backing out of a parking space as an officer, who appears to be in the path of the vehicle, moves away. The car then backs into another parked vehicle. As officers issue commands to stop, the vehicle appears to accelerate toward the officers, who had their weapons drawn. An officer then fires multiple shots at the vehicle.

Following the gunfire, the car struck another parked vehicle before driving away, prompting a foot pursuit by officers. The officer who fired the shots was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Senatobia interim police chief Angelica Maze thanked the public for their patience during the investigation and acknowledged the community's strong emotions. "Open communication and cooperation between residents and law enforcement are essential as we move forward together," Maze said in a statement Tuesday.