Kohen Wiley Shooting: Mississippi AG Rules Officer’s Use of Force Justified in 1-Year-Old’s Death

Mississippi’s attorney general has ruled that a police officer’s use of force was justified in the shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in Senatobia, Mississippi, on June 14.

The decision, announced Monday, October 19, concludes the state’s review following an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Kohen’s family is challenging the finding and demanding the release of body-camera and surveillance footage.

Officer Fired Into Car During Shoplifting Response

Senatobia police were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident at a Walmart when an officer fired into a vehicle carrying Kohen, his mother and another woman.

Kohen was killed, and the woman driving the car was wounded.

State investigators said the vehicle drove toward officers and almost struck one. Kohen’s mother disputes that account and has denied that she or her companion stole anything.

Family Demands Body-Camera Footage

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, questioned how the public could assess the ruling without access to the footage and called for its release.

Crump has also said a preliminary independent autopsy indicated Kohen was shot from the side of the vehicle, challenging the police account.

Neither woman had been charged, according to the reporting on the decision.