Mississippi Attorney General Declares Officer's Use of Force Justified in Infant Shooting
The state attorney general concluded that a Senatobia police officer was justified in firing at a vehicle that was moving toward officers, resulting in the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, while civil-rights lawyers and experts continue to question the finding.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said a Senatobia police officer was justified in using force when he fired at a moving vehicle during a shoplifting investigation, killing 1-year-old Kohen Wiley inside the car. The incident occurred in mid-June after officers responded to a Walmart theft call and observed Vellesiya Wiley and a friend leaving the store in a vehicle. State investigators said the car drove toward police, prompting the officer to fire.
Attorney Martin Zummach, representing the officer, said the findings cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing and that the driver "tried to kill" the officers, adding that the officer "had no choice but to fire his weapon."
Civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, challenged the conclusion, noting a preliminary independent autopsy suggested the bullet entered from the side of the vehicle, contrary to police statements. Crump called for the release of body-camera footage, stating, "How can anyone accept that conclusion when Kohen's family and the public still have not been allowed to see the body-camera footage?"
Police use-of-force expert John P. Gross said best practice would be to move out of the way if a vehicle approached, describing the shooting as "almost certainly unjustified." Firearms and ballistics expert Charles "Joe" Key observed that the vehicle damage indicated the officer fired from the side, implying the officer was not in immediate danger.
Activist Marquell Bridges also urged the release of video evidence, saying the family deserves the truth and the public deserves transparency. The case adds to ongoing tensions in Senatobia, where previous incidents involving Black residents have strained community-police relations.