Mississippi officer put on leave after killing baby in car outside Walmart

A Mississippi police officer has been placed on administrative leave following a fatal shooting that killed a one-year-old child, Kohen Wiley, while responding to an alleged shoplifting incident outside a Senatobia Walmart.

Demonstrations erupted in Senatobia on Sunday, the day of the shooting, and continued Tuesday evening. Protesters gathered outside the city hall during a municipal meeting and also at the Walmart where the incident occurred. Tensions escalated as law enforcement officers, some wearing gas masks, formed a line and deployed an irritant, colloquially known as teargas, toward the demonstrators, forcing them to disperse.

According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), police responded Sunday to a report of an attempted theft of diapers. An officer discharged a firearm at a vehicle before it left the scene. The MBI stated the vehicle was driving toward an officer at the time, though some witnesses have reportedly challenged this account, according to the Mississippi Free Press.

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A one-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot. Kohen Wiley was a baby. 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. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent one-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.

Kohen Wiley was inside the vehicle, which arrived at a local hospital shortly after the shooting. The child was pronounced dead, and another individual in the vehicle was reported to be in critical condition. The MBI confirmed that no officers sustained serious injuries during the incident, which involved both Senatobia police and Tate County sheriff's deputies.

Kohen's family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who issued a statement expressing outrage. "A one-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot," Crump said. "Kohen Wiley was a baby. 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. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent one-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him."

The MBI is continuing its investigation and has not identified the officers involved. The family is demanding the release of body camera footage and Walmart surveillance video. Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell assured reporters that an independent investigation is underway and video footage will be released upon its completion. The Senatobia Police Department posted on Facebook, stating their commitment to transparency and sharing information as facts are verified.

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We are committed to full transparency. As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible.