Family, community mourn 1-year-old fatally shot by officer at Senatobia Walmart
Family members and community supporters gathered Wednesday outside a Senatobia Walmart to mourn 1-year-old Kohen Wiley and demand the release of video and accountability after a law enforcement officer fired at a car responding to an alleged shoplifting call, the state Department of Public Safety said.
The Department of Public Safety said Sunday that an officer shot at a car after it drove in the officer’s direction and nearly struck the officer. Mississippi Today reported the child died from injuries sustained in the shooting and that a family friend in the vehicle was critically wounded.
The boy’s father, who asked that his name not be published to protect his privacy, told Mississippi Today his son “meant the world” to him and said, “Can’t get him back.” National civil rights attorney Ben Crump, part of a legal team representing the family, said Kohen’s mother told officers before the shooting that a child was in the car. Family members told Mississippi Today the woman and the friend were buying diapers and did not shoplift.
Protesters gathered at the store after the shooting and demonstrators and family members said police used tear gas Tuesday night to disperse the crowd. Video footage reviewed by Mississippi Today showed officers in riot gear. A Walmart representative asked demonstrators to remove posters from the store facade but agreed to allow a limited memorial, Mississippi Today reported. The Tate County Sheriff’s Department and the Senatobia Police Department patrolled the parking lot, and WAPT reported the officer involved was placed on administrative leave.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which probes shootings involving law enforcement, will present its findings to the attorney general’s office, the bureau said. Marquell Bridges, president of the Building Bridges Coalition and a family spokesperson, said protesters pressed the Senatobia Board of Aldermen to release video and to terminate the officer but the board did not vote for either request. The city of Senatobia urged residents to avoid speculation while the investigation proceeds, saying verified facts should guide understanding of the incident.
Source: Original Article
