Daijiworld Media Network – Senatobia

Senatobia, Jul 2: An independent autopsy has raised fresh questions over the fatal police shooting of a one-year-old boy in Mississippi, with the child's family alleging that the findings contradict the official account of the incident.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner, representing the family of one-year-old Kohen Wiley, on Wednesday released preliminary findings from an independent autopsy conducted at the family's request.

According to forensic pathologist Dr Roger Mitchell, Kohen died from a gunshot wound to the torso. The report also indicated that the bullet entered through the side of the vehicle, raising doubts about whether the police officer who opened fire was facing an immediate threat.

Addressing a press conference in Senatobia, Crump said injury patterns on the child's body suggested that fragments from the shattered passenger-side window struck him after the bullet passed through the vehicle.

Displaying photographs of the damaged vehicle, Crump claimed the evidence indicated the shot was fired from the side rather than the front.

"You cannot get that shot from the front. Why would an officer fire into a vehicle from the side if he was not in immediate danger?" he questioned.

The shooting occurred on June 14 after police responded to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart store.

According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), officers saw two adults and a child leaving the store and entering a vehicle. Authorities alleged that an officer opened fire after the driver drove the vehicle towards police. Kohen's mother, who was inside the vehicle, has disputed that version of events.

The driver was also injured in the incident.

The MBI declined to comment on the latest autopsy findings, citing the ongoing investigation. The agency has also refused to release body camera or surveillance footage until the probe is completed.

The Senatobia Police Department said the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave, but authorities have not disclosed the officer's identity.

The family's legal team has demanded the release of all available video footage, arguing that greater transparency is needed to establish the circumstances that led to the child's death.

The incident has sparked growing public concern in Senatobia, with community groups calling for accountability and seeking answers over the police response.