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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A Mississippi police officer involved in the fatal shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley while responding to a shoplifting call has been placed on administrative leave, officials confirmed on Tuesday night.
The shooting occurred outside a Walmart in Senatobia on Sunday.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, said in a statement that officers responding to a shoplifting call had "encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle."
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As police tried to stop the vehicle, the driver drove toward them and almost hit an officer, according to the bureau.
An officer then shot at the vehicle, which drove away. The two women drove to a hospital, where Kohen was pronounced dead. No law enforcement officers were seriously injured, the bureau said.
Wiley’s mother was physically unharmed, but her friend was seriously injured, according to Marquell Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition.
Protests Outside Senatobia Walmart
The officer who fired at the vehicle has not been identified, but was placed on administrative leave, as is standard protocol following officer-involved shootings.
"At the Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting tonight it was discussed and decided that the Officer involved in the incident that occurred Sunday, June 14, 2026 at Walmart has been placed on administrative leave," the city of Senatobia said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The announcement came as protesters returned to demonstrate outside the Walmart again on Tuesday night. Law enforcement used tear gas to disperse them, Action News 5 reported.
Family Calls for Body Camera Footage
The Senatobia Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that officers had responded to a report of shoplifting "which led to officers discharging their firearms" shortly after 2 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that deputies were also present when the shooting occurred.
Deputies had been investigating "an unrelated incident at the store when their assistance was requested," the news release said. "The suspects fled the parking lot in their vehicle after an officer fired at the oncoming vehicle."
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Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Wiley’s family, said in a statement on X: "A one-year-old child is dead after police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a vehicle in a crowded Walmart parking lot in Senatobia.
"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."
Wiley's family has questioned the use of force in the incident, and calls are mounting for authorities to release police body camera footage, surveillance video and other evidence.
"Policeman shot, opened fire in a public setting, over allegedly some Pampers," Licole Wiley, Wiley’s grandmother and the sister of the woman who was injured, told Action News 5. "Whatever the incident may have come to, it still didn’t need for you to shoot two adults and a baby that was not even a threat to you."
Mississippi Officials Urge Patience
Bridges said Wiley’s mother "did not steal anything and was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime."
"The officer fired and killed 1-year-old Kohen Kartier Wiley before the car was even crunk. Release the body camera footage, dash camera footage, Walmart surveillance video, and the alleged 911 call. Justice for Kohen," Bridges said on Facebook on Tuesday.
"When you see the door come open, that is a young Black mother begging and pleading with police, trying to show them that her baby was in the car that her child, Kohen, was in the car an innocent life," he wrote.
"Kohen’s mother did not steal anything and was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime. She was skipping and playing with her child kohen to the car moments earlier not fleeing a theft."
At a news conference, Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said body camera footage and other evidence would not be released until the state investigation is complete and evidence is presented to the attorney general’s office for possible criminal charges. He did not provide a timeline for when the investigation is expected to be complete.
"Make no mistake, this is a very tragic situation," Tindell said.
"I want the public to be assured that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will conduct its independent investigation. We have five agents working on this case, gathering statements, gathering evidence and working diligently to prepare a file to present to the AG's office. I would ask that the public maintain patience as much as possible and I know this is a very frustrating time, but maintain patience as this process is done."
Walmart Says It Is Cooperating With Investigation
The city of Senatobia said in a statement on Tuesday that it is "fully cooperating with all appropriate authorities."
The statement said: "As the investigation continues, our focus remains on ensuring that the facts are thoroughly examined and that accurate information is shared through the appropriate official channels.
"We understand that emotions are high and that many questions remain. We respectfully ask our community to avoid speculation and the spread of unverified information while the investigation is underway. Please allow the investigative process to take its course so that the facts—not rumors or assumptions—guide our understanding of this tragic event. We ask our community to continue responding with compassion, respect, and grace as we support all those affected during this difficult time."
The Senatobia Police Department said in its statement that it was "committed to full transparency. As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible."
Walmart said it is working with law enforcement during the investigation.
"We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store," a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said the company was cooperating with law enforcement.
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