The Mississippi attorney general announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that a police officer who shot and killed a one-year-old child will not face criminal charges. The decision concludes the state’s investigation into the death of Kohen Wiley, who was struck by gunfire during a police response to a shoplifting report.
The incident occurred on June 14 in Senatobia, Mississippi, located approximately 40 miles south of Memphis. Officers had arrived at a Walmart following a report of stolen baby clothes and diapers. According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers encountered Vellesiya Wiley, the child's mother, and a friend as they entered a vehicle and began to drive away.
A dispute remains regarding the movement of the vehicle during the encounter. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation stated that the car drove toward law enforcement, leading an officer to fire into the vehicle. However, Vellesiya Wiley stated that the car did not head toward the officers, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, said a preliminary independent autopsy indicated the child was shot from the side of the car rather than the front.
Police reports allege that diapers and baby clothes were taken from the store, but neither Wiley nor her friend has been charged with theft. The gunfire struck both the child and the mother's friend. In a video released after the shooting, Wiley denied that any items were stolen during the visit to the Walmart.
The incident involves a single fatality and one injury resulting from a shoplifting call involving items such as diapers and clothing. For the family, the impact is described by Vellesiya Wiley as witnessing both the first and last breaths of her child. For the community, the outcome of the investigation determines the legal accountability for police use of force when responding to property crime reports.
The ruling sets a precedent for how the Mississippi Attorney General’s office evaluates use-of-force incidents where police claims of a vehicle being used as a weapon are contested by forensic evidence or witness testimony. While the state criminal investigation has concluded with no charges, the source does not report whether federal authorities or civil courts will review the case. No further court dates or deadlines were specified in the announcement.