Nationwide — The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office has ruled that an officer was justified in the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley and will not face criminal charges. The decision closes the state’s investigation but has prompted renewed calls from the child’s family, civil rights attorneys and Senatobia residents for transparency and the release of video evidence.
The City of Senatobia confirmed the ruling Monday, October 19, and expressed sympathy for Wiley’s family, according to Action News 5. The decision follows an investigation into the June 14 shooting at a Walmart parking lot, where police had responded to an alleged shoplifting incident involving diapers. Wiley was in a vehicle with his mother and great-aunt when, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), the driver moved toward officers and nearly struck one of them. An officer fired at the vehicle, hitting both the driver and the child. Wiley died from his injuries.
The MBI assigned five agents to investigate the shooting. They reviewed witness statements, body-camera footage, dash-camera recordings and Walmart surveillance video before the Attorney General’s Office concluded that the officer’s use of force was justified. However, Wiley’s family and their attorneys continue to seek access to the evidence. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Van Turner, who represent the family, have called on the MBI and Walmart to release all available footage. An independent autopsy report released in July classified Wiley’s death as a homicide.
Crump questioned the state’s conclusion, arguing that the family and public should be allowed to review the body-camera footage. He also raised concerns about previous allegations involving the police department, including reports of racial slurs in text messages that led to the police chief’s dismissal. A separate complaint alleged that the officer made a racially offensive remark two days before the shooting. “If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it,” Crump said, vowing to continue fighting for the family.
The ruling has also drawn concern from residents and community advocates who have sought accountability since the shooting. In June, protesters marched through Senatobia to demand justice, while members of the Senatobia Committee for Accountability and Transparency, known as S.C.A.T., raised questions during meetings of the city’s Board of Aldermen. Community activist Patrick Lumumba described the anger among residents as a deep sense of injustice that would not be resolved without accountability. Senatobia resident Billy Brooks also questioned the use of gunfire in a busy parking lot where other people and vehicles were present. In August, the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus called on state officials to take action and communicate with the family. Its chairman, Kabir Karriem, said Wiley’s relatives deserved answers and assurances that the institutions investigating the child’s death would remain accountable to the public.
S.C.A.T. addressed the attorney general’s decision in a statement Monday, explaining that the case was deeply personal for members who live in Senatobia and had supported Wiley’s family through their grief. The committee said its members needed time to process the ruling before offering further public comments and asked others to respect that request. The group also noted that the tragedy had affected families, relationships and the wider community in ways that could not be fully captured in news reports or social media posts.