Autopsy heightens scrutiny of police shooting that killed 1-year-old

An independent autopsy requested by the family of a 1-year-old boy who was fatally shot by police in Mississippi raises new questions about officers' actions, adding to growing calls for transparency in the weeks since the shooting.

Prominent civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner, who are representing the family of Kohen Wiley, released preliminary findings from the independent autopsy during a news conference on July 1. The autopsy determined that Wiley's cause of death was a shotgun wound to the torso, according to Crump.

The autopsy also found that a gunshot wound entered Wiley on the right side of his chest and exited on the left side of his chest, Crump said. The autopsy concluded that the manner of death was homicide.

The findings challenge officers' claims that they fired as a vehicle drove toward them, according to the attorneys. During the news conference, Crump, who has disputed the claims, showed a photograph of the vehicle with a shattered passenger side window and a bullet hole in the front windshield.

"How are you going to fear for your life when you're shooting from the side?" Crump said at the news conference.

The findings came after Crump and the child's family pushed for an independent examination and called for transparency and accountability in the investigation into the June 14 shooting. Wiley's death drew national attention and prompted demonstrations in Senatobia, a small city in northern Mississippi about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

What happened to Kohen Wiley?

Officers were responding to a report of a shoplifting incident at a Walmart in Senatobia at around 2 p.m. local time on June 14 when the shooting occurred, the Senatobia Police Department said in a statement at the time. Upon arrival, officers saw two people and a child allegedly fleeing from the store into a vehicle.

According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, officers attempted to stop the vehicle as the driver drove toward them. One officer shot at the car as it fled the scene.

The people in the vehicle then arrived at a local hospital, where Wiley was pronounced dead, and the other injured person was treated. No law enforcement officers were injured, authorities said.

Wiley was sitting in his mother's car when police opened fire on it, Crump said in a statement on June 16. He added that Wiley's mother was trying to notify officers that the child was in the car before the shooting.

"They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old," he said in the statement. "We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him."

Following the shooting, the Senatobia Police Department announced it was investigating the incident. The officer who shot Wiley was placed on leave, the city of Senatobia said on June 16.

The mayor of Senatobia said he was "committed to transparency" during the investigation in a June 19 statement posted on social media.

Kohen Wiley's mother denies driver drove toward officers

In a video shared with USA TODAY by Crump's office, Wiley's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said the incident began when she, her son, and a friend were leaving Walmart.

After officers stopped her friend, Vellesiya Wiley said she and her son continued walking to their car because they were not involved in the situation at that point.

Once the friend returned to the car, they began backing out when officers came towards the car and allegedly drew their guns, she said.

"I raised my baby up, trying to show them that he was in the car," she said.

"By the time I sat my baby down, it was like three to four shots," she continued. "One of the shots hit him in his rib cage. And the other shots hit her in her arm and her thigh."

In response to reports that the alleged shoplifting involved diapers, Vellesiya Wiley said her friend was buying diapers and the purchase was likely captured on self-checkout cameras.

"They tried to say that she forcefully was trying to drive and hit them," she said, but added that the officers were allegedly on the right side and "she was driving towards the left."

Funeral for toddler marked by calls for transparency

Wiley was remembered during funeral services on June 27, where 200 family, friends, and supporters gathered to honor his life at the Hosanna Family Worship Center in the community of Pope, Mississippi.

Dressed in teal and blue to represent one of Wiley's favorite children's shows, "Bluey," his family tailored the entire service to what they thought he would have liked. There was a small card with a graphic that pictured Wiley walking in the middle of Bluey and Bingo, two characters from the show.

During the service, Turner led a call for justice. While June 27 was a day to honor and celebrate Wiley, Turner said June 28 marked the beginning of the fight for answers and accountability.

"We have a task to do, we need to celebrate this young soul today, but tomorrow (June 28) we must do something about it," Turner said. "It's up to Senatobia to protect this family; it's up to the community to make sure we are not back here tomorrow, next week, month, or year."

Contributing: Jordan Green and Joel Haley, Memphis Commercial Appeal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Autopsy heightens scrutiny of police shooting that killed 1-year-old

Reporting by Thao Nguyen, Jack Armstrong and Melina Khan, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 12:11 AM.