Officer placed on leave after fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley sparks protests in Mississippi
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Demonstrators continue to demand body camera, dash camera and surveillance footage following the death of the Mississippi toddler.
A Mississippi police officer involved in the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley outside a Walmart in Senatobia has been placed on administrative leave as protests continue and calls for transparency intensify.
According to reporting by Newsweek, city officials confirmed Tuesday that the officer who fired at a vehicle during the June 14 incident was placed on leave following discussions at a meeting of the mayor and Board of Aldermen. The officer’s identity has not been publicly released.
The shooting occurred after officers responded to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart in Senatobia. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), which is handling the case, said officers encountered two adults and a child entering a vehicle while attempting to leave the scene.
Investigators said the driver allegedly drove toward officers and nearly struck one of them. An officer then opened fire on the vehicle before it left the parking lot. The women inside later drove to a hospital, where Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead. One woman suffered serious injuries, while no officers were seriously hurt.
As Newsweek reported, demonstrations have been held outside the Walmart since the shooting. Action News 5 reported that law enforcement used tear gas Tuesday night to disperse protesters gathered at the site.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Wiley’s family, said the child’s mother maintains she was attempting to tell officers that a baby was inside the vehicle before shots were fired. Family members and community advocates have demanded the release of police body camera footage, dash camera recordings and Walmart surveillance video.
Marquell Bridges, president of the Building Bridges Coalition, has also questioned the use of force, saying Kohen’s mother was not involved in any theft and was neither a witness nor an accomplice to a crime.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell called the incident “a very tragic situation” and said five MBI agents are conducting an independent investigation before findings are submitted to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for review.
City officials have urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation remains ongoing. Walmart said it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities as the case proceeds.