Officer Cleared in Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old Boy After Alleged Diaper Theft — Family Demands Release of Video Evidence

A heartbreaking case in Mississippi has sparked renewed outrage after the state’s attorney general ruled that a police officer was justified in fatally shooting 1-year-old Kohen Wiley during a June incident outside a Walmart store. The decision, announced on October 19, 2026, has intensified calls for transparency from the boy’s family, who are demanding answers about how their child ended up caught in a deadly police encounter.

The shooting occurred on June 14 in Senatobia, Mississippi, when officers responded to a report of alleged shoplifting involving diapers and baby clothing. According to authorities, officers encountered two women leaving the store with a child before they entered a vehicle and attempted to drive away. Police said the driver moved toward officers, nearly striking one of them, prompting an officer to open fire on the vehicle.

Kohen was being held by his mother, Vellesiya Wiley, when the gunfire erupted. The toddler was struck and later pronounced dead at a hospital. The woman driving the vehicle, identified in reports as a family friend, was also shot and critically injured. The incident quickly drew public attention, raising difficult questions about the use of deadly force during an investigation involving an alleged retail theft.

On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that her office had concluded the officer’s use of force was justified following an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. However, the announcement did not publicly explain in detail how investigators reached that conclusion. No criminal charges have been filed against the officer in connection with the shooting, and the state has not released the body-camera footage or store surveillance video to the public.

The family’s attorney, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, strongly criticized the decision and called for the immediate release of the recordings. He argued that the public should be able to examine the evidence behind the state’s conclusion. Vellesiya Wiley has also disputed the police account, saying she was holding her baby and attempting to show officers that a child was inside the vehicle when shots were fired. The family’s legal team has cited a preliminary independent autopsy that reportedly indicated Kohen was shot from the side, raising further questions about the circumstances described by authorities.

The case has also intensified scrutiny of the Senatobia Police Department, which has faced other controversies involving its treatment of Black residents. For Kohen’s family, however, the central issue remains the loss of a child who was barely beginning his life. While the attorney general’s ruling marks a major development in the investigation, the continued withholding of video evidence has left relatives and community members demanding greater transparency. As calls for answers grow louder, the circumstances surrounding Kohen’s final moments remain a source of profound grief and public concern.

Source: PEOPLE – Officer Who Fatally Shot 1-Year-Old During Alleged Diaper Theft Was ‘Justified,’ AG Says