Police shooting of infant in Mississippi prompts protests and calls for accountability
A one-year-old boy was killed after police fired at a vehicle responding to a shoplifting call in Senatobia, Mississippi, sparking community protests and renewed debate over police practices.
Police in Senatobia, Mississippi, shot and killed a one-year-old boy, Kohen Wiley, after responding to a shoplifting report at a Walmart on June 14. Officers attempted to stop a vehicle that was leaving the store; the driver turned toward the officers, and an officer discharged his weapon, striking the child and a passenger, according to a statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. The officer has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues.
The child's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, disputed the shoplifting allegation and said the driver was not heading toward the officers. Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, posted a video of Wiley stating that the driver was traveling in the opposite direction of the officers.
Community leaders and civil-rights advocates have called for greater police accountability. Bernice King, daughter of the late civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., said the incident reflects a failure of policing standards. Policing expert Ian Adams noted that shooting at a moving vehicle is generally discouraged because of the risk to occupants.
The case adds to a series of incidents in which Black individuals have died during police encounters over minor alleged offenses. Local activist Marquell Bridges described the shooting as a tipping point after previous contentious interactions between Black residents and law enforcement in the town.
Senatobia, with a population of about 8,300, is approximately 40% Black. The mayor and most city officials have not responded to requests for comment. The investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is expected to release video evidence once completed.
