Kohen Wiley death sparks protests in Mississippi

(Video credit: WMC, FAMILY PHOTO, BEN CRUMP, CITY OF SENTOBIA, CNN via CNN Newsource) —

A Mississippi family and their community want answers after a 1-year-old was killed when police fired at a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart.

The shooting, which occurred Sunday afternoon outside of the Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, has sparked protests in the northern Mississippi city and in nearby Memphis, Tennessee, and has resulted in a police officer being placed on administrative leave.

Sister station WAPT reports that law enforcement officers with the Senatobia Police Department and the Tate County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Walmart on Sunday and encountered two people and a juvenile child leaving the store and getting into a vehicle. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating, said officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver allegedly drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. That’s when an officer discharged their weapon, and the vehicle fled the scene, according to investigators.

The individuals later arrived at a local hospital, where 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was in the vehicle, was pronounced dead.

Marquell Bridges, a community advocate who is the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition, said Kohen’s mother was physically unharmed, but her friend was seriously injured, the Associated Press reports.

No law enforcement officers were seriously injured, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said.

The Board of Aldermen in Senatobia, which is around 40 miles from Memphis, announced the officer’s leave during a meeting on Tuesday evening as demonstrators and the family of the 1-year-old marched through downtown Senatobia and gathered outside the Walmart on U.S. 51, WAPT reports.

The shooting has sparked outrage in the area, with protesters calling for accountability and transparency as the investigation continues. As crowds grew outside the store Tuesday night, law enforcement deployed tear gas in an effort to disperse protesters.

CNN reports that the situation has also sparked protests in Memphis.

The identity of the officer who was put on leave has not been released.

The family of Kohen Wiley is being represented by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who released a statement on Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Kohen Wiley was a 1-year-old child. A baby who should have had his whole life ahead of him is now gone, and a family is living every parent’s worst nightmare,” Crump wrote. We cannot accept a world where an alleged shoplifting call ends with a child dead! We’ve been retained by Kohen’s family, and Ben Crump Law is demanding answers and accountability.

MBI said investigators are continuing to gather evidence and conduct interviews. The agency’s findings will be turned over to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office once the investigation is complete.

In a statement on its Facebook page Sunday, the Senatobia Police Department said it is “committed to full transparency.”

As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the police department said.

In a statement on its website on Tuesday, the City of Senatobia called the situation a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said it extends its “deepest condolences to the family grieving the loss of a child.”

We also ask that you keep our law enforcement officers, first responders, medical personnel, and everyone affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers,” the city said in the statement.

The city also acknowledged the demonstrations.

“We understand that emotions are high and that many questions remain. We respectfully ask our community to avoid speculation and the spread of unverified information while the investigation is underway,” the city said. “Please allow the investigative process to take its course so that the facts—not rumors or assumptions—guide our understanding of this tragic event.”

The city said it is asking the community to “continue responding with compassion, respect, and grace as we support all those affected during this difficult time.

Carlos Haynes, speaking to the Associated Press earlier this week, described his grandson as a happy baby and said he was looking forward to watching him grow.

“Someone ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes said.

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WAPT, CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report