AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 21, 2026
Mississippi AG Rules Officer's Use of Force Justified in Fatal Police Shooting
The Mississippi Attorney General has concluded that a Senatobia police officer was justified in using deadly force during a response to a shoplifting call, an incident that resulted in the June shooting death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. The finding follows a state investigation into the high-profile case, which has sparked nationwide calls for justice and increased scrutiny of police accountability in Senatobia.
Incident Overview: Shoplifting Call Escalates
According to investigators, Senatobia officers responded to a shoplifting call at a Walmart in mid-June. Officers observed Vellesiya Wiley, Kohen's mother, carrying her son as she exited the store with a friend. The two women, both Black, entered a car and attempted to leave the scene. Police suspected them of stealing diapers and baby clothes. However, Vellesiya Wiley has denied these accusations, and no shoplifting or related charges have been filed against her or her friend to date, per online state and county court records.
Sequence of Events Leading to the Shooting
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation says officers tried to stop the vehicle, which then drove toward law enforcement. In response, a Senatobia officer fired at the moving vehicle, striking both Kohen Wiley and the driver’s friend. A photograph from the aftermath shows the passenger window shattered and a bullet hole through the passenger side windshield. Kohen was killed, and the other woman in the car sustained serious injuries.
Attorney General and Officer’s Legal Position
Martin Zummach, attorney for the officer who fired the fatal shot, stated that the attorney general’s conclusion cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing. Zummach asserted that the driver of the car "tried to kill" the officer and others who were present, saying, "He had no choice but to fire his weapon." Conversely, Vellesiya Wiley disputed, in a video statement released days after the shooting, that the driver ever moved the vehicle toward officers as claimed.
Calls for Transparency and Body Camera Footage
Ben Crump, a well-known civil rights attorney representing Kohen Wiley’s family, questioned the official narrative. He referenced an independent preliminary autopsy that indicated Kohen was shot from the side of the car, challenging the assertion that officers fired because the car was heading toward them. Crump criticized authorities for not releasing body camera footage and urged transparency. "If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth," he said.
Expert Opinions on Use of Force
John P. Gross, an expert on police use of force involving vehicles, contended that the preferred approach in such situations would be for officers to move out of harm’s way, opining that "You don’t shoot vehicles." Charles “Joe” Key, a firearms and ballistics expert with a background as a Baltimore police lieutenant, suggested that the physical evidence points to the officer firing from the side, possibly indicating the officer was not at immediate risk.
Community Response and History
The fatal police shooting has intensified scrutiny of the Senatobia Police Department, especially among Black residents. Previous incidents have eroded trust in local law enforcement, including a 2023 event where a Senatobia officer threatened and arrested a Black woman in a Walmart parking lot, and a 2022 incident involving the arrest of a Black 10-year-old boy. The recent termination of former police chief Harold Vanderford, following reports of racist slurs in private texts, has further fueled demands for accountability.
Activist Marquell Bridges, working with Kohen Wiley’s family, emphasized the need for transparency: "His family deserves the truth. The public deserves transparency. We will not be silent."
The case continues to spark calls for the release of all footage and further investigation into police practices in Senatobia.
Source: abcnews.com.
