In a statement released on Monday, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office confirmed that the shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley by a police officer was deemed a “justified” use of force. This conclusion comes four months after the tragic event occurred while officers were responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart in Senatobia.

The Attorney General’s office stated, “Today, the Office of the Attorney General announced it has completed the review of a June 14, 2026, incident in Senatobia involving one officer with the Senatobia Police Department. In this incident, the Attorney General’s Office found the use of force was justified.”

The investigation into the shooting was conducted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI). An attorney representing Wiley’s family raised concerns about the findings, pressing the police department to release any body camera footage related to the incident. “If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it,” said attorney Ben Crump. “We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth.”

Wiley’s family has been vocal in their demands for justice, participating in demonstrations in the small town located approximately 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Details of the Incident

The incident transpired when police arrived at Walmart and observed two individuals, along with a child, fleeing into a vehicle. According to the MBI report, the mother of the child, identified as Vellesiya Wiley, was a passenger in the vehicle driven by a friend. The report outlines that an officer discharged their weapon after the driver allegedly moved toward the officers, nearly striking one of them.

Following the shooting, the vehicle left the scene and arrived at a local hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead, and another passenger sustained critical injuries. Vellesiya Wiley has disputed the police account, suggesting that her friend’s driving was not aggressive and did not pose a threat to the officers.

Family’s Perspective

In a video shared on social media by attorney Ben Crump, Wiley recounted that they had initially gone to Walmart to purchase diapers. She indicated that her friend had been briefly detained as they were leaving, and that they encountered police while reversing from their parking space. “I raised my baby up trying to show them that he was in the car,” she stated.

Wiley asserted that the officers were not in the path of their vehicle during the incident, emphasizing that her friend was driving in a manner that did not aim to hit the police.

Autopsy and Further Questions

In July, the family’s legal team released an initial autopsy report, which indicated that the bullet which fatally struck Kohen had entered from one side of the car, raising further questions about the justification of the shooting. Crump pointed out that Wiley, who has faced no charges, had been trying to communicate that her child was present in the vehicle at the time of the incident.