Civil rights attorney calls for federal probe into Mississippi police shooting

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump criticized the police shooting that killed a one-year-old boy in a Mississippi Walmart parking lot, calling it "not justified," according to reports from wvoc.iheart.com and wspd.iheart.com. The incident occurred in June in Senatobia, near Memphis, when officers responded to a shoplifting report.

Bodycam footage reviewed by Crump shows an officer firing into a suspect's vehicle as it pulled away, resulting in the death of the child, Kohen Wiley, who was in the passenger seat. The Mississippi Attorney General's Office had previously ruled the use of force "justified" after an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI).

Crump described the officer's actions as "reckless" and urged for a federal investigation, suggesting the officer could have moved out of the way instead of shooting. The MBI report stated the officer fired as the driver "sped toward the officers." Kohen was killed and an adult was critically injured.

The adults involved, including Kohen's mother, were accused of stealing diapers but were not charged. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves supported the investigation's findings, noting the driver attempted to run over the officer. The officer involved was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

Kohen's grandmother expressed her disgust after viewing the footage, saying there was no justification for the shooting. The Senatobia interim police chief thanked the public for their patience during the ongoing investigation.