Mississippi AG Claims Officer’s Actions Were Justified in Fatal Shooting of Child During Shoplifting Incident

The Attorney General of Mississippi has stated that the actions of a Senatobia police officer were justified during a shoplifting response that resulted in the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. This announcement follows several months of grief and demands for accountability regarding the incident that occurred in mid-June.

During the police response to alleged shoplifting at a Walmart, officers observed Vellesiya Wiley, Kohen’s mother, leaving with her child. Reports suggest the officers attempted to stop their vehicle, which subsequently led to an officer firing into the car, hitting both Kohen and a friend of his mother. Following the event, Ms. Wiley denied any theft and stated the vehicle did not approach the officers. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, pointed to an independent autopsy suggesting a different angle of the gunfire, raising further questions about the justification for the officer’s actions.