A one-year-old boy was shot dead in a parking lot outside a Mississippi Walmart after cops responding to a shoplifting call opened fire.
Kohen Wiley was in a car with his mother and a family friend when he was hit, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said. The officer-involved shooting, which took place Sunday afternoon around 40 miles from Memphis in Senatobia, is now under investigation.
“Kohen Wiley was a baby,” Crump told NBC News. “His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car.
“They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent one year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”
Kohen’s grandfather Carlos Haynes said the boy was a happy baby and he had been looking forward to watching him grow up. “Somebody ended it all before it could even start,” Haynes added.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said when law enforcement officers were called to the Walmart store they encountered “two subjects and a child” fleeing into a vehicle.
“Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one,” a statement said.
“An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene. The subjects arrived at a local hospital where one juvenile child in the vehicle was pronounced deceased, and another subject had critical injuries.
“MBI is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence.”
Community advocate Marquell Bridges told The Associated Press that Kohen’s mother was unharmed in the incident but that her friend was seriously injured.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave as investigations continue, WREG News Channel 3 reported. No officers were seriously injured in the incident, authorities added.
In a statement shared on Facebook, the Senatobia Police Department said that the department is “committed to full transparency.”
“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the department added.
During a press conference, Mississippi DPS Commissioner Sean Tindell said that body camera video footage and other evidence will not be released until the completion of the state investigation. That evidence will be presented to the attorney general’s office.
The City of Senatobia described the incident as a “heartbreaking tragedy” said it is “fully cooperating” with authorities.
“We understand that emotions are high and that many questions remain,” the City said. “We respectfully ask our community to avoid speculation and the spread of unverified information while the investigation is underway.”
Walmart told NBC News it was “saddened” by the incident and is working with law enforcement during the investigation.
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