The Mississippi attorney general's office announced Monday that a state investigation concluded an officer's use of force was "justified" in the June shooting death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. The ruling stems from an incident at a Senatobia Walmart, where an officer fired at a moving vehicle, fatally striking the toddler.
According to the Associated Press, officers responded to a shoplifting call involving Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and a friend. The two were suspected of stealing diapers and baby clothes. Wiley was holding her son as they exited the store, entered a car, and began to drive away. An officer then discharged his weapon into the vehicle.
Wiley has denied the shoplifting allegations, and court records show neither she nor her friend faced any charges, the AP reported. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation previously stated that officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it drove toward them, prompting one officer to fire, striking the toddler and Wiley's friend.
Martin Zummach, attorney for the officer involved, told the AP that the attorney general's findings cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing. Zummach asserted that the driver "tried to kill" his client and other officers, leaving the officer no choice but to fire.
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing Kohen's family, called for the release of video footage of the encounter to substantiate the attorney general's conclusion. Marquell Bridges, an activist working with the family, echoed that demand in a statement, saying, "His family deserves the truth. The public deserves transparency. We will not be silent. We will not look away. And we will not allow the life of a Black child to be treated as though it means nothing."
The shooting has ignited outrage and tension between police and Black residents in Senatobia, leading to protests and calls for greater police accountability. The case adds to a broader national conversation about officer-involved shootings and the use of force, particularly in incidents involving minority communities. Similar controversies have emerged in other jurisdictions, such as the investigation of an ICE officer in Houston and the lawsuit over an ICE shooting in the Bronx.
The attorney general's office has not released the full investigative report, and it remains unclear whether the officer will face any administrative discipline. The Senatobia Police Department has not commented further on the findings. The family's legal team has indicated they will continue to push for full disclosure of evidence, including any body camera or surveillance footage.
This incident underscores the high stakes of police encounters and the demanding expectations for transparency in their aftermath. As the community mourns the loss of a child, the demand for accountability remains a central issue, with parallels to other recent tragedies, such as the mass shooting in Erie that drew similar calls for action.
