Mississippi Town Protests After 1-Year-Old Shot by Police

SENATOBIA, MS — A small town in Mississippi has seen significant protests after a 1-year-old boy was fatally shot Sunday by police.

The incident occurred at a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, where police were responding to an alleged shoplifting incident.

When sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a vehicle, they said an officer was nearly hit by the car. An officer then opened fire and struck two people in the vehicle.

The toddler, Kohen Wiley, died at a hospital, while a woman in the car was critically wounded.

Crowds later gathered outside the town’s City Hall as officials addressed the incident. Hundreds of people then protested Tuesday at the Walmart parking lot before police deployed tear gas.

The officer who opened fire has been placed on administrative leave while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation examines the case. 

High-profile attorney Ben Crump — who has also been involved with other wrongful death lawsuits involving police, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd — is representing the family.