...
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot by a police officer responding to a shoplifting call in Mississippi will be laid to rest on Saturday.
Visitation for Kohen Kartier Wiley, who died on June 14 after a police officer fired into a vehicle outside a Walmart in Senatobia, is set to begin at 4 p.m. Friday at the Senatobia Church of Christ. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hosanna Family Worship Center in Pope, Mississippi, according to the funeral home's website.
"I am so sorry that an atrocious action stole all the years ahead of you," one mourner wrote in a virtual guestbook. "I know no words can be adequate to comfort your mother and your family."
Read More on U.S.
...
A probe into the police-involved shooting, which has been condemned as "reckless" by relatives and attorneys for the boy's family, is being conducted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Spokesperson Bailey Martin has said police bodycam footage of the incident could be released within months, adding that the case had been marked as a priority for the agency.
"We cannot put a specific timeframe on these types of investigations, as each case is unique and requires a thorough investigation,” Martin told Newsweek on Friday. "However, we typically aim to complete investigations within 6-9 months and this case has been made a priority. Once MBI's investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office."
The officer who fired the fatal shot, who has not been publicly identified, has been placed on administrative leave. City officials announced the move following demonstrations outside the Walmart that prompted police to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner appeared alongside Kohen's distraught relatives during a press conference on Monday to announce an independent autopsy, as well as to renew calls for the police video footage to be publicly released.
...
"We’re here to stand for transparency, accountability and justice for baby Kohen," Crump said. "It is not controversial for us to stand up for accountability."
Crump said he found it "unimaginable" how a report of shoplifting at a Walmart culminated in the death of a child, with an officer firing into a moving vehicle as Kohen rode with his mother and another woman as they allegedly drove toward authorities and fled the scene.
"This 1-year-old baby couldn't put his hands up," Crump said on Monday. "A 1-year-old baby is not a threat."
...
Crump said the family wants an independent autopsy conducted because they don't "want to rely" on MBI's investigation.
"When a baby is killed in a police shooting, a family should never have to wonder if they got the full story," he said. "We understand there's no doubt, no question, no mystery as to what killed baby Kohen, but we want an independent autopsy to verify the injury wounds and exit wounds."
Crump also called on the state agency to release any police bodycam or Walmart security footage connected to the fatal shooting, which has sparked protests at the store.
"You don't need to say no more, just release the video," Crump said. "This family, this community, this country has a right to know all of it. Release the bodycam video, release the Walmart video, release all of the video because transparency plus accountability equals trust."
Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, also spoke briefly during Monday's press conference in Senatobia. She's suffering from nightmares and panic attacks in the aftermath of the horrific shooting that unfolded as she held her son, Crump said.
"I watched my baby take his first breath and I watched my baby take his last breath," Wiley said.
An online fundraiser for Kohen, meanwhile, surpassed $22,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
"Kohen brought so much joy to those around him, and his loss has left a void that can never be filled," the website reads.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines