Mississippi AG says officer's force was justified during shoplifting call in which boy was killed

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has determined that a Senatobia police officer was legally justified in using force during a shoplifting call that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old boy. The incident occurred when the officer fired at a moving vehicle that investigators reported was driving toward law enforcement personnel. The child was inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting.

The attorney general’s conclusion follows an investigation into the officer's actions during the encounter. The findings emphasize the legal determination that the officer’s use of force was permissible under the circumstances described by investigators, specifically citing the threat posed by the vehicle's movement toward police.