Baby killed by police gunfire in Mississippi during shoplifting call
Police officers shot and killed a one-year-old baby during a response to an alleged shoplifting at a supermarket in Senatobia, Mississippi, sparking outrage and protests for police accountability.
Baby killed by police gunfire in Mississippi during shoplifting call
Officers opened fire and killed a one-year-old infant in the small town of Senatobia, Mississippi, during an operation tied to an alleged theft from a store. The incident has triggered strong reactions within the local community and demonstrations demanding police accountability.
According to Philenews, authorities responded to a call about shoplifting at a local supermarket on Sunday. Upon arrival, they spotted two women and a child leaving the premises, getting into a car and driving away. A statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said officers tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver moved toward them, nearly hitting one of them. An officer then discharged his weapon, and the car fled.
The victim, named Kohen Wiley, was just one year old. His mother, Velesja Wiley, stated that her son and the friend who was driving were struck by bullets. In a video posted on social media by civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, the mother claimed the driver was not heading toward the officers because everyone was on the right side while she was driving to the left. She also disputed the shoplifting allegation, saying she believes her friend paid for the diapers she was carrying.
The case has been compared to another incident from 2023, when pregnant Ta'Kiya Young was shot by police in Columbus, Ohio, also during an alleged shoplifting at a store. In both cases the victims were African American, prompting comparisons and debate about systemic racism.
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., said on social media that "we treat items on a shelf as more valuable than a child" and called the event a "moral collapse."
Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, told CNNi that regardless of circumstances, the officer should not have shot at the moving vehicle. He noted that modern policing knows firing at a moving car is a very bad idea and should be avoided almost at all costs, because other passengers may be inside.
The officer who fired was placed on administrative leave, while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is examining the exact causes of the incident. Authorities have pledged to release video footage from the shooting once the inquiry is complete.
The town of Senatobia, with roughly 8,000 residents, has a population that is about 40 percent Black according to the 2020 census. Yet the mayor and most city council members are white.
Source: Philenews