Crime & JusticeDeveloping
Mississippi attorney general finds police shooting of 1-year-old was justified
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 16 outlets across the spectrum.
18 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office said on Monday that the use of force by a Senatobia police officer was justified. The officer fired at a moving vehicle during a shoplifting call outside a Walmart on June 14, killing 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was in the car. Police and the state’s investigators say the driver drove toward officers, while the boy’s mother gives a different account. The family says it never heard from investigators, and The Intercept reports the state has released no supporting evidence. Body-camera and surveillance footage published by The New York Times shows the moments before the shooting in the Walmart parking lot.
Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works
What happened
Key points
Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office said on Monday that the use of force by a Senatobia police officer was justified.
Across the spectrumReported byFar Left2Left2Center3Right4See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- HuffPost, The Intercept
- Left
- ABC News, The Guardian
- Center
- PBS NewsHour, BBC News, The Hill
- Right
- The Washington Times, The Center Square, Daily Mail, Reason
A Senatobia police officer fired at a moving vehicle during a shoplifting call outside a Walmart on June 14, killing 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was in the car.
Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left3Center3Right4See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- The Intercept
- Left
- ABC News, The Guardian, The New York Times
- Center
- PBS NewsHour, BBC News, The Hill
- Right
- The Washington Times, The Center Square, Daily Mail, Reason
Police say the driver drove toward officers, almost striking one, and the boy’s mother gives a different account.
Reported byCenter2Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
- Center
- PBS NewsHour, BBC News
- Right
- Reason
The family says it never heard from investigators, and the state has released no supporting evidence for its finding.
Reported byFar Left1Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- The Intercept
- Right
- The Center Square, Reason
Body-camera and surveillance footage of the confrontation in the Walmart parking lot has been published.
One outletThe New York Times· Left
What is contested
Where accounts differ
Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.
The driver drove the car toward officers, almost striking one, before the officer fired.
The state investigators and police say the car was driven toward officers; the boy’s mother says police tried to stop her friend and gives a different version of events.
The shooting was justified after a thorough and impartial review.
The attorney general’s office says its review found the force justified; The Intercept reports no supporting material was released, Reason says little explanation was given, and the family and the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus demand more answers.
How each side tells it
Compare views
Every side reports that Mississippi’s attorney general found the police shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley justified. Left headlines stress the toddler’s death and the family’s dispute, right headlines the stolen diapers and the car driven at officers, and center headlines the attorney general’s finding.
the left
9 outlets
Left headlines lead with the toddler’s death and the attorney general’s ruling, while some stress the family’s dispute and newly released footage.
Mississippi attorney general rules fatal police shooting of one-year-old as ‘justified’
The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines the center
3 outlets
Center headlines state the attorney general’s finding that the officer’s force was justified, naming either the officer or the boy, without the family’s dispute.
Mississippi attorney general says officer was justified in shooting 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
The HillCenterAll center headlines the right
4 outlets
Right headlines stress the alleged diaper shoplifting and the car driven at officers, or the finding itself, while one stresses the family’s dispute.
Sensational language“Fury”The word presents the public reaction as intense anger before the facts are reported in the article.More neutral: ReactionDisagree with this highlight? as report rules Mississippi cops were justified in use of force that killed baby boy after his mom and aunt Loaded verb“stole diapers”The headline states as fact that the mother and aunt stole, which is the disputed allegation rather than a established finding.More neutral: allegedly took diapersDisagree with this highlight? from Walmart then drove car at them
Daily MailRightAll right-leaning headlines
The words they chose
Language to notice
Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.
Left6
eroded trustracist police violenceDeclaresplan to do nothing
Center1
officer-involved shooting
Right3
Furystole diapersStolen Diapers
In the outlets’ own words
Loaded verb
eroded trustMore neutral: has raised concerns about trust between the police and the city’s Black residents
States as settled that trust between the police and the Black community has been damaged, a conclusion the excerpt does not support with evidence.
The shooting is the latest in a string of incidents that has eroded trust between the Senatobia police department and the city’s Black citizens.
Used byHuffPost (Far Left)
Sensational language
FuryMore neutral: Reaction
The word presents the public reaction as intense anger before the facts are reported in the article.
Fury as report rules Mississippi cops were justified in use of force that killed baby boy…
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Loaded verb
stole diapersMore neutral: allegedly took diapers
The headline states as fact that the mother and aunt stole, which is the disputed allegation rather than a established finding.
…cops were justified in use of force that killed baby boy after his mom and aunt stole diapers from Walmart then drove car at them
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Euphemism
officer-involved shootingMore neutral: police shot or an officer shot
Police public-relations phrasing that removes the actor from the sentence.
…that a state investigation found the use of force was “justified” in an officer-involved shooting in June that took the life of a 1-year-old boy.
Used byThe Hill (Center)
Show 6 more phrasesShow fewer
Absolutist framing
racist police violenceMore neutral: police violence against Black residents of Senatobia
The phrase presents a contested characterization of the shootings as settled fact, without evidence cited in the text.
The shooting is part of a pattern of racist police violence against Black residents of Senatobia, Mississippi.
Used byTruthout (Far Left)
Loaded verb
DeclaresMore neutral: says
The word presents the attorney general’s statement as a pronouncement, adding weight that the statement itself does not carry.
Mississippi Attorney General Declares Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old “Justified”
Used byTruthout (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
Stolen DiapersMore neutral: Over Diapers Taken in a Shoplifting Call
The headline states as settled fact that the diapers were stolen, which the supplied text only reports as the police account of a shoplifting call.
Says Killing of 1-Year-Old Boy Over Stolen Diapers Was 'Justified'
Used byReason (Right)
Absolutist framing
plan to do nothingMore neutral: have not announced further action
The excerpt turns the announcement of a completed review into a claim that officials will take no action, which the supplied text does not establish.
On Monday, Senatobia residents got their answer: Officials plan to do nothing.
Used byThe Intercept (Far Left)
Absolutist framing
Cops Did No WrongMore neutral: Who Found the Use of Force Justified
The headline states as settled that the investigators found no wrongdoing, while the coverage describes only a finding that the force was justified.
Kohen Wiley’s Family Say They Never Heard From Investigators Who Concluded Cops Did No Wrong
Used byThe Intercept (Far Left)
Sensational language
ChaoticMore neutral: New Video Shows Moments Before Police Shot 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley
The word adds drama to the footage without describing what it shows.
New Video Shows Chaotic Moments Before Police Shot 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley
Used byThe New York Times (Left)
See for yourself
Side by side
What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.
From the left
9 outletsLeads with
- toddler’s death
- family’s dispute of the findings
- newly released body-camera and surveillance footage
Leaves out
- police account that the car was driven toward officers
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 9 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
New Video Shows Sensational language“Chaotic”The word adds drama to the footage without describing what it shows.More neutral: New Video Shows Moments Before Police Shot 1-Year-Old Kohen WileyDisagree with this highlight? Moments Before Police Shot 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley
The body-camera and surveillance footage provides the first glimpse of a confrontation in a Walmart parking lot that left 1-year-old Kohen Wiley dead.
1 more from The New York Times
- The InterceptFar Left
Kohen Wiley’s Family Say They Never Heard From Investigators Who Concluded Absolutist framing“Cops Did No Wrong”The headline states as settled that the investigators found no wrongdoing, while the coverage describes only a finding that the force was justified.More neutral: Who Found the Use of Force JustifiedDisagree with this highlight?
Mississippi has yet to release any support for its claim that a “thorough and impartial” review showed the shooting was “justified.”
- TruthoutFar Left
Mississippi Attorney General Loaded verb“Declares”The word presents the attorney general’s statement as a pronouncement, adding weight that the statement itself does not carry.More neutral: saysDisagree with this highlight? Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old “Justified”
The shooting is part of a pattern of Absolutist framing“racist police violence”The phrase presents a contested characterization of the shootings as settled fact, without evidence cited in the text.More neutral: police violence against Black residents of SenatobiaDisagree with this highlight? against Black residents of Senatobia, Mississippi.
- CBS NewsLeft
Family seeks answers after police officer who shot 1-year-old cleared of wrongdoing
A 1-year-old boy was shot and killed by a police officer in Mississippi over alleged diaper theft. The officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing. CBS News' Skyler Henry has more on this story.
- TheGrioLeft
Mississippi Attorney General says officers were ‘justified’ in shooting death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
The June shooting in Senatobia, Mississippi, led to plenty of protests and calls for transparency regarding the one-year-old toddler’s death.
- NBC NewsLeft
Mississippi AG says police shooting that killed 1-year-old was ‘justified’
Kohen Wiley was killed in June when officers fired at a car at a Walmart parking lot. A friend of Wiley’s mother, who was driving the car, was injured.
- The GuardianLeft
Mississippi attorney general rules fatal police shooting of one-year-old as ‘justified’
Officers responding to an alleged shoplifting call fired into the vehicle of Vellesiya Wiley, killing her son, Kohen On Monday, Mississippi attorney general Lynn Fitch’s office announced that the police shooting of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old, as he sat in his mother’s lap “was …
Mississippi AG says officer's force was justified during shoplifting call in which boy was killed
Mississippi’s attorney general says a Senatobia police officer was justified in using force during a June shoplifting call that ended in the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
Mississippi AG Says Use Of Force In 1-Year-Old's Shooting Death Was Justified
The shooting is the latest in a string of incidents that has Loaded verb“eroded trust”States as settled that trust between the police and the Black community has been damaged, a conclusion the excerpt does not support with evidence.More neutral: has raised concerns about trust between the police and the city’s Black residentsDisagree with this highlight? between the Senatobia police department and the city’s Black citizens.
From the center
3 outletsLeads with
- attorney general’s finding
- officer fired at moving vehicle
- shoplifting call at Walmart
Leaves out
- family’s dispute of the findings
- lack of supporting evidence in the state’s statement
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
- The HillCenter
Mississippi attorney general says officer was justified in shooting 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
The Mississippi Attorney General’s office said in a statement Monday that a state investigation found the use of force was “justified” in an Euphemism“officer-involved shooting”Police public-relations phrasing that removes the actor from the sentence.More neutral: police shot, an officer shotDisagree with this highlight? in June that took the life of a 1-year-old boy. …
- BBC NewsCenter
Police used 'justified' force in fatal shooting of one-year-old, says Mississippi attorney general
The boy was sitting in his mum's lap in the passenger seat of a car that police say was allegedly being driven at officers.
Mississippi attorney general says officer's force was justified in death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
Mississippi's attorney general says a Senatobia officer was justified in using force when he responded to a shoplifting call and fired at a moving vehicle that investigators said was driving toward police, killing a boy who was in the car.
From the right
4 outletsLeads with
- alleged diaper shoplifting
- car driven at officers
- family’s dispute of the findings
Leaves out
- new body-camera and surveillance footage of the parking lot
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 4 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
- ReasonRight
Mississippi A.G. Says Killing of 1-Year-Old Boy Over Loaded modifier“Stolen Diapers”The headline states as settled fact that the diapers were stolen, which the supplied text only reports as the police account of a shoplifting call.More neutral: Over Diapers Taken in a Shoplifting CallDisagree with this highlight? Was 'Justified'
The state offered little explanation for its finding, and the boy’s family is calling for the bodycam footage.
- Daily MailRight
Sensational language“Fury”The word presents the public reaction as intense anger before the facts are reported in the article.More neutral: ReactionDisagree with this highlight? as report rules Mississippi cops were justified in use of force that killed baby boy after his mom and aunt Loaded verb“stole diapers”The headline states as fact that the mother and aunt stole, which is the disputed allegation rather than a established finding.More neutral: allegedly took diapersDisagree with this highlight? from Walmart then drove car at them
Republican Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office said the use of force by the police officer who shot Kohen Wiley, one, outside a Walmart in Senatobia on June 14 was 'justified'.
- The Center SquareRight
State says use of force justified; family of toddler killed disputes findings
(The Center Square) – Use of police force by a Senatobia police officer toward a vehicle suspected of involvement in a crime on June 14, leading to the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, has been justified by the attorney general's…
Mississippi attorney general says use of force was justified in death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
No criminal charges will be filed against the Mississippi police officer who shot and killed a Black toddler while responding to a shoplifting call, the state attorney general announced Monday after reviewing an investigation into the shooting and decided not to press charges.
Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?
The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.
Who reported it when
How the coverage built up
Left
1 hr later
Its first report, Oct 19, 2:57 PM EDT
Center
4 hr 16 min later
Its first report, Oct 19, 6:10 PM EDT
Right
First to report
The Washington Times, Oct 19, 1:54 PM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- The Washington TimesRightOct 19, 1:54 PM EDT
- The Center SquareRightOct 19, 2:50 PM EDT
- HuffPostFar LeftOct 19, 2:57 PM EDT
- ABC NewsLeftOct 19, 3:52 PM EDT
- The GuardianLeftOct 19, 4:58 PM EDT
- NBC NewsLeftOct 19, 5:15 PM EDT
- TheGrioLeftOct 19, 5:50 PM EDT
- PBS NewsHourCenterOct 19, 6:10 PM EDT
- CBS NewsLeftOct 19, 7:26 PM EDT
- BBC NewsCenterOct 19, 8:53 PM EDT
- The New York TimesLeftOct 20, 4:16 AM EDT
- Daily MailRightOct 20, 8:29 AM EDT
- The HillCenterOct 20, 10:17 AM EDT
- TruthoutFar LeftOct 20, 2:45 PM EDT
- ReasonRightOct 20, 5:45 PM EDT
- The InterceptFar LeftOct 20, 6:18 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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