Mississippi AG Clears Officer Who Shot Toddler Kohen Wiley

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that a Senatobia officer was justified in using force when he shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in mid-June. The shooting occurred outside a Walmart about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Officers responded to a shoplifting call and saw Wiley's mother carrying her son as she and a friend drove away. Police believed they stole diapers and baby clothes, though neither has been charged.

“Kohen Wiley was a baby. He posed no threat. He deserved protection, and he deserved a future.”

The attorney general's office said the car drove toward law enforcement, prompting an officer to fire into the vehicle. The officer's attorney said his client had no choice but to fire because the driver tried to kill him.

The family's attorney said a preliminary independent autopsy indicated Kohen was shot from the side of the car, contradicting claims that the vehicle was heading toward officers. The family said investigators did not contact them before concluding the officer did no wrong.

A public safety press secretary said the investigation involving the officer is closed, but body camera footage will be available through public records requests after officials meet with the family later this week.