Key facts
- A Mississippi police officer is on administrative leave after a shooting that killed a one-year-old child.
- The incident occurred outside a Senatobia Walmart while responding to a shoplifting complaint.
- The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent inquiry into the shooting.
- Protests have taken place in Senatobia, with law enforcement deploying an irritant during one demonstration.
- The family of the deceased child, Kohen Wiley, has hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
A police officer in Senatobia, Mississippi, has been placed on administrative leave following a shooting incident that resulted in the death of a one-year-old child. The shooting occurred on Sunday when officers responded to a report of an alleged shoplifting attempt at a local Walmart.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), an officer fired a gun at a vehicle as it was leaving the scene. Authorities stated the vehicle was driving toward an officer, though some witnesses have reportedly challenged this account. The child, identified as Kohen Wiley, was in the vehicle and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Another individual in the vehicle was reported to be in critical condition.
The incident has sparked protests in Senatobia. On Tuesday evening, demonstrators gathered outside city hall, and a separate protest occurred at the Walmart. During the gathering outside city hall, law enforcement officers deployed an irritant, colloquially known as teargas, to disperse the crowd.
The MBI is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting. The family of Kohen Wiley has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who stated that the child was a baby and that officers fired despite the mother's alleged attempts to communicate there was an infant in the car. Walmart has confirmed its cooperation with the investigation.
Mississippi department of public safety commissioner Sean Tindell assured reporters that an independent investigation is underway and that body camera and surveillance footage will be released upon its completion. The Senatobia police department has issued a statement committing to transparency.