Autopsy casts doubt on police account in fatal shooting of 1-year-old in Mississippi

An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of a 1-year-old boy fatally shot by police in Mississippi has raised serious questions about the officers’ version of events, intensifying public calls for transparency and accountability more than two weeks after the shooting.

Prominent civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner, who represent the family of Kohen Wiley, released preliminary findings from the autopsy during a news conference on July 1. According to Crump, the autopsy determined the cause of death was a shotgun wound to the torso — with the bullet entering the right side of the child's chest and exiting the left side. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

The findings directly challenge the officers’ initial claim that they fired because a vehicle was driving toward them. During the news conference, Crump displayed a photograph of the vehicle showing 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 asked.

Wiley’s death on June 14 outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi — about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee — drew national attention and sparked demonstrations. The case has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over police use of force, particularly against Black families, as Crump and Turner push for a full, transparent investigation.

The Senatobia Police Department said officers were responding to a report of shoplifting around 2 p.m. local time when they encountered two adults and a child allegedly fleeing from the store to a vehicle. According to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, an officer shot at the car as it drove away. No officers were injured. The vehicle later arrived at a local hospital, where Wiley was pronounced dead; another person in the car was treated for injuries.

Crump previously stated that Wiley was sitting in his mother’s car when officers opened fire. He said the mother, Vellesiya Wiley, tried to alert police that her son was inside before the shooting. “They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old,” Crump said in a statement. “We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen.”

The officer who fired the shot was placed on administrative leave, and Senatobia’s mayor pledged transparency. But the new autopsy findings have amplified doubts about the official narrative.

In a video shared by Crump’s office, Vellesiya Wiley recounted the moments before the shooting: her friend had been stopped by police, but she and Kohen continued to their car because they were not involved. When they began backing out, she said officers approached with guns drawn. “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. One of the shots hit him in his rib cage.” She also disputed claims that the driver tried to hit officers, insisting the vehicle was moving to the left while officers were on the right.

Wiley was remembered at a funeral service on June 27, where 200 people gathered at Hosanna Family Worship Center in Pope, Mississippi. The service was tailored to his love of the children’s show “Bluey,” with family and friends dressed in teal and blue. Attorney Van Turner called for justice, saying June 28 marked the beginning of a fight for accountability. “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,” Turner said.

The case continues to draw scrutiny from civil rights groups and legal experts, who say it underscores the need for independent investigations whenever police use deadly force against children.

Contributing: Jordan Green and Joel Haley, Memphis Commercial Appeal