SENATOBIA, Miss. — Community members gathered in protest this week after a 1-year-old child was killed during an officer-involved shooting outside a Walmart in northern Mississippi.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), the incident occurred Sunday after officers responded to a reported shoplifting call at the Senatobia Walmart.
Investigators said officers observed two women and a child leave the store and enter a vehicle. Authorities allege officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver moved in the officers’ direction and nearly struck them. At least one officer then fired at the vehicle, according to MBI.
The vehicle left the scene and later arrived at a local hospital, where 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead.
Following the shooting, city officials placed the officer involved on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The officer’s identity has not been publicly released.
The child’s death sparked demonstrations outside Senatobia City Hall and later near the Walmart where the shooting occurred. Protesters called for the officer’s arrest and termination while demanding answers from local officials.
Authorities reported that tear gas was later deployed during the protests by deputies from the Tate County Sheriff’s Office.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said state law requires the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to handle officer-involved shooting investigations. Once investigators complete their work, the findings will be turned over to the district attorney’s office for review.
Tindell also stated that body camera and dashboard camera footage will be made available through the public records process after the investigation is completed.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Tuesday that he and attorney Van Turner will represent the child’s family as they seek answers regarding the shooting.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
