Mississippi AG says officer justified in shooting that killed 1-year-old

Mississippi's attorney general concluded that a police officer was justified in using deadly force when he shot a 1-year-old boy during a response to a shoplifting call, CBS News reported.

According to PBS NewsHour, the incident occurred in June in Senatobia, Mississippi, when officers responded to a shoplifting call at a Walmart and fired at a moving vehicle believed to be driving toward police. The vehicle contained the boy, Kohen Wiley, who was killed, and a friend of his mother who was injured.

NBC News detailed that the officers saw the vehicle leaving the store after the suspected shoplifting of diapers and baby clothes. The boy's mother and her friend deny any theft and have not been charged. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation conducted the inquiry, and the attorney general's office issued its findings four months after the shooting.

An attorney representing the officer stated that the driver tried to harm the officers, leaving the officer no choice but to fire. Meanwhile, the boy's family attorney questioned the investigation's conclusions and called for the release of body camera footage to ensure transparency.

The shooting has prompted national and local calls for justice and mourning in the community. The attorney general's decision closes the state's investigation but leaves ongoing public discussion about the incident.