MLBC Condemns Fitch’s Decision in Baby Kohen Wiley’s Death: “A Declaration of Justification Is Not a Substitute for Accountability”
The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus condemns Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s determination that a Senatobia police officer’s use of force was justified in the shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. The Caucus demands the release of the evidence supporting that decision, a detailed public explanation and an independent review of the department’s practices.
The following statement should be attributed to Chairman Rep. Kabir Karriem of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus.
“Kohen Wiley was a baby. He posed no threat. He deserved protection, and he deserved a future. His family is owed more than a conclusion. They are owed the evidence, the explanation and the truth.”
“Attorney General Fitch cannot reasonably expect public confidence in a decision the public has not been given the evidence to evaluate. Announcing that a review is complete does not fulfill the responsibility to explain how a police encounter ended with a baby dead.”
“Release the video. Explain what the evidence shows about the officer’s position, the vehicle’s movement and the circumstances of each shot. Explain how your office evaluated the danger to Kohen and the other occupants. Address the questions raised by his family and their attorneys. A declaration of justification is not a substitute for accountability.”
For the MLBC, these concerns are informed by history. In 2020, Fitch’s office obtained dismissal with prejudice of the manslaughter charge against former Columbus police officer Canyon Boykin in the death of Ricky Ball, citing evidence it said supported self-defense. That decision prompted demands for disclosure of the evidence and a fuller explanation. The cases have distinct facts, but the principle remains: when the state declines to prosecute a fatal police shooting, its reasoning must withstand public scrutiny.
The Senatobia Police Department’s leadership history adds urgency to that demand. Former Chief Harold Vanderford was fired after investigative reporting exposed racist text messages.
Those revelations require a serious examination of departmental culture, supervision and accountability. Removing a chief does not, by itself, establish that the practices under his leadership have been corrected.
The MLBC calls for:
Release of the evidence: Prompt disclosure of all available body-camera, dashboard-camera and surveillance footage, together with the investigative findings and factual and legal basis supporting the decision. Any withholding or redaction should be narrowly limited and specifically explained.
Dignity and direct communication for the family: An opportunity for Kohen’s family and their attorneys to review the footage before public release, with care for their wishes and dignity, and a direct briefing on the findings.
Independent scrutiny: A review by qualified investigators outside the agencies involved, examining the shooting, the completeness of the investigation and the department’s use-of-force policies, training, supervision and response to racial misconduct.
“Black Mississippians deserve equal protection and a justice system that treats their lives with equal gravity. Black families should not have to organize protests or sustain national attention to receive a meaningful explanation when a loved one is killed by police.”
“We stand with Kohen’s family, and we will respect their wishes as they pursue truth and accountability. Their grief must never become an inconvenience for public officials or a story the state waits for people to forget.”
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