Mississippi officer justified in shooting that killed one-year-old boy

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 00:02 · Archive

Mississippi's attorney general has ruled that a police officer was justified in using force during a shoplifting call that resulted in the death of a one-year-old boy.

Mississippi's attorney general has concluded that a Senatobia police officer was justified in using force during a June shoplifting call at Walmart that ended in the fatal shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley. The ruling concludes the state's investigation into the incident in the small town about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, following months of national attention and calls for justice.

Officers responded to a shoplifting call and saw Vellesiya Wiley, the boy's mother, and a friend leaving the store. Police reports indicate diapers and baby clothes were allegedly stolen. According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the car drove toward law enforcement, prompting an officer to fire into the car, striking Kohen and his mother's friend.

The family has disputed the police account. Vellesiya Wiley denied in a video released days after the shooting that she or her friend stole anything and said her friend, who was driving, did not head toward the officers. Ben Crump, a nationally renowned civil rights attorney representing Kohen's family, said results of a preliminary independent autopsy indicate Kohen was shot from the side of the car, not the front, contradicting officers' claims.

How it is being reported

• Mississippi AG says officer's force was justified during shoplifting call in which boy was killedPittsburgh Post-Gazette · 19 Oct, 22:40
• Mississippi AG says officer’s force was justified during shoplifting call in which 1-year-old boy was killedMississippi’s attorney general says a Senatobia police officer was justified in the use of force during a shoplifting call in June that ended in the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old boy.TribLIVE · 19 Oct, 21:36

In this story: Kohen Wiley · Vellesiya Wiley · Ben Crump · Senatobia Police Department · Mississippi Attorney General · Senatobia

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