Mississippi Police Shooting Kills One-Year-Old Baby During Supermarket Parking Lot Intervention

Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old infant, was shot and killed by a Mississippi police officer on June 14 in a supermarket parking lot. Officers were responding to a suspected diaper theft. An independent investigation is underway and the shooter has been suspended.

Mississippi Police Shooting Kills One-Year-Old Baby During Supermarket Parking Lot Intervention

A twelve-month-old infant died on June 14 in Mississippi after police officers opened fire during an intervention in a supermarket parking lot. Kohen Wiley was sitting in his mother's arms inside a vehicle when the shots rang out. The officers had been called to arrest two women suspected of stealing a pack of diapers.

Vellesiya Wiley, the child's mother, described the events on social media. She claims she lifted her son to show the officers he was in the car. According to her account, three to four gunshots were then fired. One bullet struck the infant in the chest, while another hit his arm and thigh. The baby was rushed to hospital but did not survive.

The release of footage from the scene triggered nationwide outrage. At the location of the tragedy, demonstrators denounced excessive use of force and raised the issue of race. "Shooting at a car when there's a baby inside, honestly, that's ridiculous. It's unacceptable. It's got to be because of his skin color," said Kaysoski Sanders, one of the protesters.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation offered a different version of events. According to its preliminary findings, the driver of the vehicle allegedly drove toward the officers during the arrest attempt, prompting them to fire. Kohen Wiley's family disputes this account.

Commissioner Sean Tindell, head of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, assured the public that the investigation would be conducted independently. "I want to assure the public that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will conduct its investigation independently. Five agents are working on this case. They are gathering testimony and evidence," he stated. The officer who fired the shots has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Source: franceinfo

Source: France Info