A 1-year-old boy shot and killed outside a Mississippi Walmart was struck by a bullet that entered through the vehicle’s front passenger door window, not the windshield, according to the family’s lawyer.
Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney representing the family, said forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Mitchell examined Kohen Wiley’s wounds and concluded the shot was fired from outside the vehicle. Crump shared a photo showing the shattered passenger door window, which he said was evidence that police fired into the car without being in harm’s way.
The shooting occurred during a police response to a shoplifting incident. Authorities said officers discharged their firearms after a vehicle allegedly drove toward them. The Tate County Sheriff’s Office added that an officer fired at an “oncoming vehicle,” but did not specify whether the officer was the one who shot Wiley.
Video footage captured by a witness shows three law enforcement officers at the scene as the vehicle drives away, with the shattered window already visible. Crump questioned the officers’ actions, asking, “Why would you shoot into a vehicle from the side when you’re clearly not in harm’s way?”
Kohen Wiley was in his mother’s arms in the passenger seat when he was shot. Crump said the child was struck at least once in the right torso, with an exit wound on his left side. The pattern of abrasions on the boy suggested he was shot from an intermediate distance rather than close range.
The incident has sparked protests and unrest in Senatobia, located about 40 miles south of Memphis. Demonstrators have demanded police release body camera footage, which police have withheld, citing an ongoing investigation that could take up to nine months.
Authorities have not announced any charges against Wiley or the other individuals involved. The police department placed an officer on administrative leave following the shooting, but officials have declined to specify the officer’s identity or disciplinary status, citing ongoing investigations.
Senatobia police and the Tate County Sheriff’s Office have not responded to requests for video footage or further details. Mississippi Department of Public Safety officials said evidence would be released once the investigation concludes.
Joseph Cranney contributed to this report from New Orleans.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
