Officer involved in shooting outside Walmart that killed 1-year-old boy placed on leave
An officer who fired upon a vehicle, killing a 1-year-old boy, outside a Walmart in Mississippi has been placed on administrative leave, officials said, as outraged community members call for justice amid an ongoing investigation into the deadly shooting.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon outside a Walmart in Senatobia, located in northwestern Mississippi about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
Law enforcement officers who responded to a shoplifting call encountered two adults allegedly fleeing from the store with a child and going into a vehicle, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, with one opening fire when the driver allegedly drove toward them, the bureau said. The child was killed and an adult critically injured, officials said.
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family. Kohen was killed and the family friend was critically injured, the law firm said.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on leave, according to Senatobia city officials. The decision was made during a meeting with city officials on Tuesday.
The name of the officer has not been released.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting. Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, who oversees the bureau, promised transparency in the investigation.
"To make no mistake, this is a very tragic situation," Tindell said during a press briefing on Tuesday. "I want the public to be assured that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will conduct its independent investigation."
He said five agents are working on the case, gathering evidence and witness statements, to ultimately present to the state's attorney general's office. He said investigators are also working to get security footage from Walmart.
"I would ask that the public maintain patience as much as possible," Tindell said. I know this is a very frustrating time, but maintain patience as this process is done."
Tindell declined to get into the details of the case due to the ongoing investigation. He said body-camera footage will be released once the investigation is completed.
Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Kohen's family, said the child's mother has not been charged with any crime and that she says she was "trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car."
"They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old," Crump said in a statement. "We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him."
Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said in a video released through her attorneys that her friend was being pursued for allegedly shoplifting diapers.
"I raised my baby up trying to show them that he was in the car," she said. "By the time I sat my baby down, it was like three to four shots. One of the shots hit him in his ribcage."
Wiley said her friend was driving the vehicle at the time.
"They tried to say that she forcefully was trying to drive and hit them, but they was all on the right side and she was driving towards the left," she said.
Protesters outraged over the deadly shooting gathered outside the Senatobia City Hall on Tuesday for a rally, some holding signs saying "Justice for Kohen."
Later that night, protesters gathered in the Walmart parking lot where the shooting occurred, shouting, "No justice, no peace." Officers in riot helmets and gas masks formed a line at the front doors of the store, at one point appearing to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The Walmart temporarily closed, before reopening on Wednesday morning.
"We're saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store," a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement on Monday in response to the shooting. "The safety of our associates and customers is a top priority. We're working with law enforcement as they continue investigating."
City officials called the deadly shooting a "heartbreaking tragedy" while urging residents to await the results of the investigation.
"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 in a statement on Tuesday. "Please allow the investigative process to take its course so that the facts -- not rumors or assumptions -- guide our understanding of this tragic event."
