1-Year-Old Boy Killed After Police Shot At His Car In Walmart Parking Lot

[LiberalArkie]

The death of a 1-year-old Mississippi boy who died after a police officer shot at a vehicle he was inside of during a shoplifting call is sparking questions among family members.

“It didn’t have to happen this way. It could’ve been handled differently,” LiCole Wiley, a relative to those involved in the alleged shoplifting incident told local news station WREG.

Officers from the Senatobia Police Department and deputies from the Tate County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shoplifting report at a local Walmart on Sunday, where they encountered two adults and a child fleeing the store in a vehicle, according to a statement by the The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

One witness told the outlet in a separate report that the officers were already waiting in the parking lot as two women exited the store. The witness said one of the suspects was holding a box of diapers, while the other was holding a baby.

Snip


https://www.huffpost.com/entry/baby-shot-dead-mississippi-box-diapers_n_6a316636e4b07f7766eb0f8b

[2naSalit]

1. SO those cops...

Were probably aware that there was a baby in the car.

Fuck those guys, I hope they get what they actually deserve.

[LiberalArkie]

5. They will, 2 months off with pay and benefits then acquittal..

[PatSeg]

26. Baby or no baby,

why did they need to shoot their guns over the theft of DIAPERS?

[AloeVera]

38. You were there?

Or you just always believe the police after a fatal shooting of a black boy?

On edit: Welcome to DU! Your very first post!

[niyad]

43. Darn, did I just miss our resident troll?

[PatSeg]

49. I did as well

And he/she was answering my comment. Darn!

[AloeVera]

56. You did but didn't miss anyrhing you'd want to read.

Parroting the police story. Said authoritatively, as if he/she were an eyewitness. The police never lie after shooting a Black child, you see.

[niyad]

59. But of course!

[NewHendoLib]

63. popped in to cause some trouble, I see.

[niyad]

74. Darn, I missed them again?

[sop]

2. "Police claim the driver drove in their direction and nearly hit one of them..."

That's what cops are trained to claim every time they shoot up a moving vehicle.

[QueerDuck]

3. I'm sure there's dashcam, body cam, and parking lot video (and bystander video)...

... that will either confirm or refute the claims. What a terrible tragedy. 😢😢

[sakabatou]

27. Body cam? Probably turned them off.

[QueerDuck]

30. Perhaps, but unlikely.

[sop]

41. More details:

"Cellphone video footage obtained by Fox 13 Memphis shows a vehicle driving away from officers, but does not appear to capture the moment of the shooting. A photo of the car shows bullet holes in the windshield."

"An eyewitness told WREG that 'I seen the officers take off running, not in the car, I’m talking about on feet...They’re running through the parking lot and I see the car take off, you know, so in my head, I’m like, I know they’re not chasing the car, they don’t think they’re going to catch the car. Then I hear gunshots, and I’m like, I know they’re not shooting at a car that’s leaving in public; this is Walmart.”

"Another witness said that he heard two gunshots fired by officers who were already waiting in the Walmart parking lot as the two women left the store holding a box of diapers and the baby."

"Relatives of the slain toddler said his mother and aunt were not shoplifting and expressed wariness about local police, who have been embroiled in multiple brutality scandals involving Black victims in recent years."

“ 'Senatobia Police Department get away with too much stuff,' Stokes, the great-grandmother, told WREG. 'I hear about it all the time, it’s in the news all the time.' "

https://www.commondreams.org/news/kohen-wiley

[niyad]

44. Thank you for this important information. I could have almost

written those last two paragraphs without even knowing the story.

[dweller]

4. Over a box of diapers

And the one that needed them is no longer in need

😣


so fukked up


✌🏻

[Pinback]

17. Another tragic outrage in the U.S. of A. (nt)

[littlemissmartypants]

23. Totally. 😿

[CNYHarris]

55. Does this mean trying to annex Greenland is bad?

Asking for a friend.

Can I try to claim Canada or would that be bad?

[electric_blue68]

6. Shoplifting isn't good (but I can understand desperation vs for kicks) But this IS UNACCEPTABLE!...

Going after shoplifters with guns!

Let's see the the dashcam, or parking lot cans to see if the cops were telling the truth.
Poor child, poor parent!

[niyad]

45. Alleged shoplifters.

[electric_blue68]

58. Oh, yes, sorry. Of course!

Alleged shoplifters.

[marble falls]

73. Exactly. Let alone: IF they were shoplifting, the punishment is not death, let alone by ambush. ...

... they had the plate information, they could have picked them up later that day.

[pat_k]

7. I don't believe the "driving car at us" for a second.

If I'm proven wrong, and it was somehow self-defence, I'll be shocked.

The tragedy is that they didn't just take the licence plate, let them go, and follow up later.

Or just fucking let them go.

Shop lifting does not justify the risks of a pursuit with guns drawn under ANY circumstances.

[Wednesdays]

10. "They were driving at us." Yeah, right.

Just ask Renee Good.

[orangecrush]

15. Yes, I sense a pattern here

[niyad]

46. Alleged shoplifting.

[Wiz Imp]

68. Even if a driver is trying to drive toward a cop with their car, shooting them is NOT an acceptable response.

The US Department of Justice Policy:

https://www.justice.gov/jm/1-16000-department-justice-policy-use-force
1. Deadly force may not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect.
2. Firearms may not be discharged solely to disable moving vehicles. Specifically, firearms may not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless: (1) a person in the vehicle is threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle; or (2) the vehicle is operated in a manner that threatens to cause death or serious physical injury to the officer or others, and no other objectively reasonable means of defense appear to exist, which includes moving out of the path of the vehicle. Firearms may not be discharged from a moving vehicle except in exigent circumstances. In these situations, an officer must have an articulable reason for this use of deadly force.

[pat_k]

69. Thanks for this!

[Wiz Imp]

70. This was emphasized after the Renee Good shooting

Even if she was trying to run the guy over (she wasn't) his actions completely violated DOJ and basic Law Enforcement policies.

[pat_k]

71. And I would expect local law enforcement to have largely adopted these standards.

I would be very surprised if there are many departments that haven't.

[a kennedy]

8. This just breaks my heart.......

🤬 🤬

[Manatee]

9. Let's see

the body cam footage.

[KS Toronado]

21. Welcome to DU!

[B.See]

11. I just wrote yesterday how the

woman whose dog was killed by 911 responders was lucky they didn't shoot her, and now this. I've lost count of such instances.

"Feared for their lives." "Stood their ground." Convenient defences... Afforded to SOME.

[Blue Full Moon]

12. It's plain murder.

Shoplifting is a fine. Death is a cruel and unusual punishment. They usually get the tag off the parking lot cameras. Go to the house.

[PatSeg]

28. Exactly

Things must have been slow and boring for them. Meanwhile, shoplifting should be low on priorities for them.

[marble falls]

13. Heroes in Blue my big fat butt. Cowboys with a licence to kill. They were waiting for them, that's an ambush.

[OC375]

14. I'll reserve outrage until after all the video is out.

I can absolutely fault executing a shoplifter. That's craven. We don't kill for stealing anymore in modern society.

I'll reserve judgement on shooting someone who might be trying to run anyone over, cops included, if that's actually the case here.

[dweller]

25. They shot the baby

in the passenger seat … not driving

😑



https://upload.democraticunderground.com/100221310517

✌🏻

[OC375]

40. Lots of bad decisions went into this tragedy.

[Torchlight]

75. And some of the decisions held

much more lasting and permanent consequence than others.

[OC375]

76. Absolutely

[LiberalArkie]

31. LEO killing a person running over a LEO is the new excuse - Renee Nicole Good

Used to be "the person assaulted me" (sometimes by sneezing in the LEO's direction)

[Wiz Imp]

66. It was widely emphasized following the Renee Good shooting

that even if a driver is trying to driving toward a cop with their car, shooting them is NOT an acceptable response.
https://www.justice.gov/jm/1-16000-department-justice-policy-use-force
1. Deadly force may not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect.
2. Firearms may not be discharged solely to disable moving vehicles. Specifically, firearms may not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless: (1) a person in the vehicle is threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle; or (2) the vehicle is operated in a manner that threatens to cause death or serious physical injury to the officer or others, and no other objectively reasonable means of defense appear to exist, which includes moving out of the path of the vehicle. Firearms may not be discharged from a moving vehicle except in exigent circumstances. In these situations, an officer must have an articulable reason for this use of deadly force.

[OC375]

72. Well aware.

I'll wait for more information, thanks.

[Farmer-Rick]

16. We are being policed by

A foreign occupying army. Shoot first, ask questions later. We are all the enemy after all.

Murdered a baby for a box of diapers that Walmart won't miss..... geez.

[niyad]

18. Offficers plural, AND deputies plural??? JFC!! For ALLEGED shoplifters???

Last edited Tue Jun 16, 2026, 09:07 PM - Edit history (2)

Did they steal the crown jewels?? A BOX OF DIAPERS?? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???

Any bets on the alleged shoplifters?

[maxsolomon]

22. Baby food and diapers are 2 of the most commonly shoplifted items.

This isn't the 1st shooting at a Walmart; it's just the 1st killing of a child.

The cops were likely working with Store Security on a stakeout.

[slightlv]

32. This is exactly where my mind went!

They determined that shoplifting a box of diapers (if they, in fact, DID) was a crime worthy of murdering a 1 year old baby?!

We're deep into Les Miserables territory here. They weren't shoplifting a 65 inch TV, or other high end product. Baby diapers! That is right on par with the theft of a loaf of bread in the novel...

SMDH. This is NOT a safe country in which to live! We not only have to watch out for our "neighbors" with guns, we can't trust the "authorities" with guns, either!

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

19. Kick

[dave99]

20. Wonder what color their skin was ?

[maxsolomon]

24. A picture of the kid has been published.

He's African American.

[AverageOldGuy]

37. Well, am I ever not surprised.

[niyad]

39. Colour me sooooo NOT surprised!!!

[PatSeg]

29. I was wondering the same thing

Some shoplifters seem more inclined to be shot than others.

[Buddyzbuddy]

33. Obviously, they needed weapons drawn for shoplifting.

Well, it was unlikely to have been baby formula that was shoplifted because that's now secured behind lock and key. We wouldn't want the owners to suffer a financial loss just to feed babies. What could possibly have been so valuable to risk the death of anybody, let alone a 1 year old? Accidental or not.

[niyad]

42. Alleged shoplifting.

[JoseBalow]

34. This sounds familiar...

[The Blue Flower]

52. First thing I thought of, too

One of my favorites.

[AverageOldGuy]

36. It's Mississippi.

And they are Black. The one -yr-old is guilty.

[Upthevibe]

48. Kick. N/T

[SpankMe]

50. Shooting at fleeing suspects in a WalMart shoplifting call

WalMart itself should write a letter of protest to the cops and city council of this town:

"While WalMart appreciates the efforts of police in our comunities to enforce laws on shoplifting and prosecute the offenders, we feel that escalations up to the use of deadly force for these low level property crimes are inappropriate. It has a negative impact on the communities that we - the police and WalMart - serve. We don't wish to be seen as condoning the deaths of customers who have strayed from taking the high road at our expense. Mistakes in judgement should not result in violent death.

"We do understand that the use of deadly force by police is justified in cases where a perpetrator is armed and is presenting a clear and present danger to police or others. However, recent police encounters - such as the one in Tate County, MS, where a 1 year old infant was killed by police gunfire as the child's caretaker was fleeing a WalMart with the child and stolen merchandise in hand - fall far short of the discipline, restraint, and de-escalation that Americans normally associate with responsible police work. We don't want fleeing suspects to be killed in our name.

Sincerely, WalMart"

[niyad]

61. Allegedly stolen merchandise. It would surprise me no end if walmart

ever did send such a letter.

[purr-rat beauty]

78. Yeah right...

....the Waltons want the diapers back, f#ck the community.

[oasis]

51. We definitely will be hearing more about this.

[dave99]

53. No we won't. GOP owns Mississippi and media

[oasis]

54. They don't own Atty. Ben Crump. If he gets a

whiff of this , I’m betting he’ll be on the case.

[Blue Owl]

57. Meanwhile, Leon Musk still has his head

[niyad]

62. And his money.

[Wiz Imp]

67. Totally indefensible

Even if a driver is trying to drive toward a cop with their car, shooting them is NOT an acceptable response.
https://www.justice.gov/jm/1-16000-department-justice-policy-use-force
1. Deadly force may not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect.
2. Firearms may not be discharged solely to disable moving vehicles. Specifically, firearms may not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless: (1) a person in the vehicle is threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle; or (2) the vehicle is operated in a manner that threatens to cause death or serious physical injury to the officer or others, and no other objectively reasonable means of defense appear to exist, which includes moving out of the path of the vehicle. Firearms may not be discharged from a moving vehicle except in exigent circumstances. In these situations, an officer must have an articulable reason for this use of deadly force.

[purr-rat beauty]

77. The Waltons are stealing from us

Why do we pay for many of their employees healthcare?

Can we shoot the Waltons?