The Police Officer Who Killed 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley Still Unidentified as Mississippi Authorities Urge Patience

The head of Mississippi’s Department of Public Safety urges people to be patient as the investigation continues regarding the death of a 1-year-old boy shot during police activity in Walmart’s parking lot.

According to the authorities, the little boy Kohen Wiley passed away on Sunday due to gunfire aimed at the vehicle in which the child, together with his mother and another woman, was traveling. The incident occurred when police stopped the car after receiving complaints of theft. It is believed that the vehicle rushed at law enforcement officers and almost hit one of them.

No information about the identity of the shooter has been revealed so far. On Tuesday, the city officials announced that the unnamed officer was placed on paid administrative leave following the incident with the deadly outcome.

Five agents from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are currently investigating the case, gathering evidence such as dash and body-camera videos and Walmart camera footage.

“Make no mistake… this is a very tragic situation,” Mississippi Bureau of Investigation commissioner Sean Tindell noted. “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.”

Although the timeframe for completing the investigation has not yet been established, all collected evidence, including video files, will be released later.

As reported, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump announced Tuesday that he began representing the Wiley family in this case. According to Crump, the child’s mother tried to tell officers in advance that the car had a baby in it before police fired the shots.

“Kohen Wiley was a baby. 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,” Crump stated.

On Tuesday, representatives of Senatobia also addressed people, saying that more time is needed for the investigation to be completed:

“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.”

In response, protestors returned to Walmart on Tuesday evening. Police armed with tear gas forced the crowd to disperse. Protesters also took to the streets near the Tate County Courthouse, situated about a mile away from Walmart.

Kaysoski Sanders from Memphis said that law enforcers overreacted, using excessive force in connection with race issues.

“You gonna shoot up a car with a baby in it? Come on, man, that’s ridiculous. That’s uncalled for. That’s uncalled for. Guaranteed it was because of the color of their skin,” Sanders said.

According to the activist, the rally shows dissatisfaction with the general attitude towards citizens:

“It’s mandatory we stand up for what’s right and what’s wrong. We’re tired of being second-class citizens, 3/4 of a human being. We ain’t taking it no more.”

Aretha Lester traveled from Holly Springs to Senatobia for the same reasons as Sanders.

“People need to just stand up. It’s in this community today. It’s in mine, too. But it may be on my doorstep tomorrow,” Lester said.