Mississippi Attorney General Declares Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old Justified
The Mississippi Attorney General's office concluded that the use of force by a Senatobia police officer who shot at a vehicle on June 14, 2026, was justified, despite objections from the victim's family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that her office has completed its review of a police shooting that killed a 1-year-old child in Senatobia on June 14, 2026, and determined the use of force was justified. The incident occurred after officers responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart parking lot fired at a vehicle they said was attempting to flee. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
The child, Kohan Wiley, died at a local hospital, and the vehicle's driver sustained critical injuries. Wiley’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, was a passenger, and a friend was driving. The family’s attorney, civil-rights lawyer Ben Crump, questioned the investigation’s findings and requested the release of body-camera footage, stating, "> If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth."
According to the bureau’s report, officers tried to stop the car, but the driver allegedly moved toward the officers, prompting one officer to discharge his weapon. Wiley’s family disputes that account, saying the driver was not attempting to strike the officers and that they were merely leaving the store with a baby.
In July, the family’s lawyers released a preliminary autopsy report suggesting the bullet entered the vehicle from the side, raising further questions about the justification of the shooting. Crump added, "> His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car."
The case continues to draw public attention and protests in the small town south of Memphis, Tennessee.