Boy, 1, killed in US police shooting after mum ‘held him up to show officers there was a baby in car’

Boy, 1, killed in US police shooting after mum ‘held him up to show officers there was a baby in car’ Grieving mum Vellesiya Wiley said she had been trying to alert officers that there was a baby int he car when shots were fired, killing one-year-old Kohen and critically injuring her friend A mother spoke of her horror after her one-year-old son was shot dead when police responding to an alleged shoplifting call opened fire on a vehicle. Vellesiya Wiley said she had been “trying to show” officers that her son Kohen was inside the car moments before the police opened fire during the incident in Senatobia, Mississippi, on Sunday afternoon. The mum said she had been shopping at Walmart with Kohen and a friend when officers from the Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office approached them over allegations her friend had stolen nappies. According to Vellesiya, her friend was backing up the car when officers approached with their guns drawn. She said: “I raised my baby up, trying to show that he was in the car. So she [her friend] was backing up and she hit a car.” “By the time I set my baby down, it was like three to four shots. One of the shots hit him in his ribcage and the other shot hit her in her arm and her thigh," she added. Baby Kohen was later pronounced dead at a local hospital with Vellesiya’s friend was airlifted to another hospital and was left in a critical condition, according to family members. Kohen’s grandfather, Carlos Haynes, described him as a happy baby who had his life cut short. He told AP: “Someone ended it all before it could even start.” Vellesiya insisted neither she nor her friend had committed any crime and said security footage from the self-checkout area would show her friend paying for the nappies she had been accused of stealing. They have since not been charged with any wrongdoing She also disputed claims that the vehicle had been driven towards officers, she said: “They was all on the right side, and she was driving towards the left.” Community advocate Marquell Bridges, who is helping the family, said the child’s mother “was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime.” He said: “She was skipping and playing with her child, Kohen, to the car moments earlier, not fleeing a theft. What started as an ordinary day, playing with your baby and getting into a car, turned into the worst day of a mother’s life and a tragedy this community will carry for years to come.” Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said: “Kohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.” But there have been differing accounts of what unfolded. In a statement, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) said officers had “encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle” that then drove towards police, almost striking one officer. The stage agency said police attempted to stop the vehicle, "but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one." The MBI said an officer then discharged their weapon, firing at the vehicle. The bureau added that the driver drove to a nearby hospital, where the young child was pronounced dead. Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell said five agents had been assigned to investigate alongside the state’s Attorney General’s office and that witness testimony and video evidence, including officers’ body-worn camera and Walmart security footage, would be reviewed. He said: “It’s important that we keep civility during this process, so we can get to the bottom of it and analyze all the evidence and ultimately make it available to you.” The shooting sparked protests outside the Walmart on Tuesday, where officers wearing gas masks deployed tear gas to disperse crowds. The officer who shot Kohen was placed on administrative leave while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the incident. But in a post on social media, Mr Crump argued: "For Kohen's family, leave is not accountability! Join us in demanding the release of all body camera and surveillance footage and a full, transparent investigation into this heartbreaking tragedy." Mr Tindell said the footage would not be released until the MBI finishes its investigation. In a statement, the Mississippi Department of Public safety said: "MBI is currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence. Upon completing the investigation, agents will share their findings with the Attorney General's Office. This information is preliminary and subject to change." The Senatobia police department said in a statement on Sunday that it was "committed to full transparency". The statement read: "The Senatobia Police Department is currently investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred today at approximately 2:05 PM at Walmart. Preliminary reports indicate that officers responded to a report of shoplifting, which led to officers discharging their firearms. "The area is safe but remains closed as the investigation has been turned over to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI). We advise the public to avoid this area while MBI processes the scene. We are committed to full transparency. As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible."