The family of one-year-old Cohen Wiley, who was killed during a police shooting in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, has called on authorities to release video footage of the incident. Relatives want to determine whether law enforcement officers were truly in danger at the moment they opened fire, reports the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred on June 14. According to the family, the boy was in a car with his mother and another woman when police arrived at the scene in response to a shoplifting call. Relatives claim the car was driving away from the scene, while law enforcement says the vehicle was moving toward them.
As a result of the shooting, the child died. A woman who was in the car also sustained serious injuries.
Lawyer calls for release of camera footage
During a press conference, the boy's mother, Vellesia Wiley, spoke about her son's death.
"I watched my child take his first breath, and I watched my child take his last breath,"
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump stated that the best way to establish the circumstances of the incident is to release footage from police body cameras, dashboard cameras, and Walmart surveillance cameras.
"If it's true, then show us. The longer you delay releasing the video, the more we distrust you,"
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is handling the case, said it is currently not commenting on the existence of video recordings or the possibility of their release. The agency noted that the investigation has been given the highest priority.
According to the investigation, none of the police officers were injured during the incident.