SENATOBIA, Miss. (WMC/Gray News) — A police officer’s use of force that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old child was justified, the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General announced Monday.
The announcement marks the conclusion of the state’s investigation into the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was shot and killed June 14 in the parking lot of a Walmart in Senatobia.
This undated photo provided by Veronica Roberson in June 2026 shows her grandson, Kohen Wiley, of Senatobia, Miss.(Veronica Roberson | Veronica Roberson via AP)
On that day, Senatobia police responded to the Walmart for a call about someone trying to steal diapers.
Officials said the call involved Wiley’s mother and great aunt.
Wiley was inside a car with his mother, who was holding him, and his great-aunt, who was driving, when an officer fired toward the vehicle. Wiley and his great-aunt were shot. Wiley died from his injuries.
The officer who fired his gun was placed on administrative leave, which city leaders said was standard practice after deadly police shootings.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation assigned five agents to the case to gather statements and reviewed witness accounts, body-camera and dashcam video and Walmart surveillance video.
In an initial account of the shooting, state investigators said: “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”
The killing has drawn comparisons to other instances where Black people lost their lives over accusations of petty criminal offenses, such as the murder of George Floyd.
Attorney Ben Crump, who rose to prominence representing the families of Floyd and other Black people killed by police, emphasized that the officers’ own report says they saw two women and a child get into the car. He questioned why the officer would shoot, knowing there was a kid inside.
“They want us to believe that it was a life-or-death situation,” Crump said at the time of the shooting. “They told us that, but they have not showed us that.”
Copyright 2026 WMC via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.