On Monday, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch ruled that the police shooting of 1-year-old boy Kohen Wiley was a "justified" use of force. ​Kohen was fatally shot in June, outside of a Walmart, as cops investigated his mother and her friend for stealing diapers. Fitch didn't explain the reasoning behind the decision or what evidence was considered in a case that has sparked national backlash.

According to a June 14 statement from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), officers from the Senatobia Police Department (SPD) and Tate County Sheriff's Office were responding to a shoplifting call when "officers encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle." They "attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one," and the officer then "discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene." The family went to a local hospital, where 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead.​

Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has a different version of events, which she outlined in a video on X following the tragedy. She said that after police tried to stop her friend (the driver) outside the Walmart, Wiley continued to go to her car, saying the interaction had "nothing to do" with her. Once she got into the car, her friend arrived and began to back out of the parking spot. Then officers came over to the car, drawing their guns. She says that after she raised Kohen to show him to the officers and try to defuse the situation, they opened fire. "[The police] tried to say that [my friend] forcefully was trying to drive and hit them, but they was all on the right side, and she was driving towards the left….They personally just shot at the car," she said. In the months since the incident, the family held several rallies, demanding justice for Kohen's death.​ 

The tragedy of the shooting has been compounded by a lack of transparency from the SPD, as well as alleged expert analysis that counteracts the MBI's statement. According to reporting from Mississippi Today, Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who is representing the Wiley family, claims that an independent autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Robert Mitchell indicates that the bullets entered through the front passenger door, rather than the windshield, suggesting that the officer wasn't in the vehicle's path when he discharged his gun.​

In response to Fitch's announcement on Monday, Crump released a statement asking, "How can anyone accept that conclusion when Kohen's family and the public still have not been allowed to see the body-camera footage?" 

"If the footage supports the state's decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth," he added. To this point, the SPD has declined to release the footage, saying it's standard procedure during an ongoing investigation.

Crump was also keen to point out complaints of racism in the SPD: "This is a department whose chief was fired after reports of racial slurs in his text messages, and whose officer faced a complaint alleging a racially offensive remark two days before he shot Kohen."​

The SPD's chief at the time, Harold Vanderford, was unceremoniously fired after journalists from Mississippi Today, The New York Times, and Verite News revealed a slew of racist text messages he sent. According to reporting from Verite News, in one of the messages he said he "almost beat a nigger and white woman's ass a few minutes ago." Senatobia's Board of Aldermen rejected his attempted resignation and voted to fire him instead on September 1.

Crump also cited a complaint filed by Officer Dexter Smith, who claimed that Sergeant Hunter Foster, the officer who shot Kohen referred to him as "a black motherfucker" on June 12, just two days before the incident. According to reporting from Mississippi Today, Smith's complaint states that he was filling out paperwork in the booking room when he heard Foster say, "Who is this Black motherfucker back there?" to his colleagues. Smith claims to have had almost no relationship with Foster prior to the encounter.​

It's hard not to feel outraged considering that this little boy lost his life over something as trivial as shoplifting—a misdemeanor in Mississippi that does not justify use of lethal force, as Reason's Joe Lancaster wrote in June—and for diapers no less. With the bodycam footage yet to be released, all the public is left with is the state's word that the investigation found no wrongdoing. Given the multiple instances of racism within the department, it shouldn't come as a surprise if the public isn't content to take them at their word.

The post Mississippi A.G. Says Killing of 1-Year-Old Boy Over Stolen Diapers Was 'Justified' appeared first on Reason Magazine.

The U.S. Embassy in France is warning Americans to steer clear of violent protests as unrest sparked curfews and raised concerns about travel disruptions across the country.

The riots — fueled by a range of grievances, including rising living costs and mass migration — have been reported across France, with protests reported in cities including Paris, Lille and Lyon. Authorities have imposed localized curfews as a result.

The embassy said in a Monday statement that partial curfews had been introduced in several French cities, with additional restrictions possible.

MCDONALD'S RANSACKED AND WRECKED AS STORES, RESTAURANTS SUFFER FROM VIOLENCE AND RIOTING

"Following the October 17 protests that turned violent, media report the Prime Minister’s office introduced partial curfews for Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20 in several cities across France, including Lille," the embassy said.

"Media report more curfews may follow for parts of Paris and in prefectures across the country, and that scattered protests could continue."

In Paris, authorities also imposed overnight curfews in areas including Place de la République and the Les Halles Shopping District, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Riot police deployed tear gas across the streets near Place de la République in an attempt to disperse crowds during the escalating street battles, the same source reported. 

ANGRY LOCALS BLOCK FAMOUS BEACH AS MASS TOURISM PROTESTS ESCALATE AT VACATION HOT SPOT

The gas quickly mixed with heavy, acrid smoke from torched vehicles and street fires, according to Reuters.

The chaos forced Dutch entrepreneur Tije De Boer, who was visiting Paris with his children, to evacuate his hotel at Place de la République. 

De Boer described the scene to Reuters as "like a war zone" following the intense protests that rocked the French capital on Oct. 17.

"It's like a war zone here," De Boer said, according to the Reuters report.

TOP TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE WORLD SHUTS DOWN AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS

Major tourist attractions have also been impacted.

The Louvre Museum in Paris was forced to close Monday after protesters blocked its entrances, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Travelers visiting Paris are being advised to avoid popular protest gathering spots, including Place de la République, Place de la Bastille and Place de la Nation, along with major thoroughfares such as Boulevard Voltaire, which are frequently used for demonstrations, according to The Times of London.

Outside the capital, Lyon's tourism office at Place Bellecour was vandalized and set ablaze during the Oct. 17 demonstrations, according to city officials. 

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Visitor services have since been relocated to a temporary facility on the same square.

The violence also spread to other French cities, including Limoges, where the historic town hall was set ablaze during the Oct. 17 unrest, according to numerous reports. 

In Bordeaux, the mayor reported that as many as 100 stores had been looted during the demonstrations, Reuters reported.

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Despite the violence, flights to and from Paris have largely continued operating, according to flight data reviewed by Fox News Digital.

However, travelers could still face disruptions on the ground, with the embassy advising Americans to check for Metro station closures and other transportation interruptions before heading out.

The embassy also urged travelers to confirm flight schedules directly with their airlines and allow extra time to reach their destinations.

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"Monitor media and local resources for updated information and curfews in your area," the statement added. "Plan alternative routes and allow extra travel time for travel."

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment.

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Fox News Digital's Jessica Mekles and Reuters contributed reporting.

A passenger flight was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff following reports of a strange odor on board that left travelers fearing for their lives.

An American Airlines flight departed from St. Louis Lambert International Airport on Oct. 17, bound for Philadelphia, before turning back to the airport.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based aviation expert who founded the blog "View from the Wing," told Fox News Digital that engine oil entering an aircraft's air supply could potentially explain the odor, although the cause of the incident has not yet been confirmed.

PROBE UNDERWAY AS 7 FLIGHT ATTENDANTS SICKENED BY BAFFLING ODOR ON MAJOR AIRLINE

"When that happens, you can get smoke, you can get vibration, you can get loud noises. It can also wind up making people ill," Leff said.

FlightAware data reviewed by Fox News Digital showed that the plane was in the air for 34 minutes before landing back at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, American Airlines confirmed that the flight returned to St. Louis shortly after takeoff following a reported odor on board.

The airline said the aircraft landed safely and was taken out of service for inspection by its maintenance team.

The flight had already been delayed roughly two hours following a reported engine issue before passengers experienced trouble in the air, according to a couple who spoke to local outlet First Alert 4.

TRAVEL NIGHTMARE UNFOLDS AS MAJOR AIRLINE SCRAPS FLIGHT AFTER HARROWING 12-HOUR DELAY

The passengers — Tessa and Mark Springer of Waterloo, Illinois — were traveling to Pennsylvania for work when they heard a troubling noise coming from the back of the plane before takeoff.

"We heard just this really horrible noise coming from the back of the plane. It was like ... real loud buzzing, kind of [a] grinding sound," Mark Springer said.

Mark Springer said the pilot then announced there was a mechanical issue.

"The pilot comes back on and says, ‘Uh, there’s a problem with the engine on the airplane,’" the passenger added. "'We can’t get it started.'"

'WE THOUGHT WE WOULD DIE': PASSENGERS THROWN INTO CEILING DURING TERRIFYING FLIGHT

After the delay, the plane finally departed. But about 15 minutes into the flight, passengers experienced a sudden jolt that sent them lunging forward, according to Mark Springer.

"All of a sudden, the plane just felt like it hit a ... like in a car, when you slam on your brakes. ... Everybody kind of lunges forward like this," he said.

"And then, maybe a minute later, the plane just kind of goes boom and drops. … All of the oxygen masks fall. And we just kind of looked at each other like, is this serious? Is this real?" added Mark Springer.

Tessa Springer recalled fearing for her life as the plane turned back toward the airport, telling First Alert 4 she was terrified she would die.

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She texted her children, "Problem on our plane, love you guys," per the outlet.

"I was like, we’re going to die," Tessa Springer said.

The couple said that once they landed, they evacuated the plane by jumping from its wing, with fellow passengers helping catch one another as they made their way to the ground.

"I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get on another airplane ever again," Mark Springer said.

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Despite the frightening ordeal, Leff of "View from the Wing" said a lengthy delay due to a mechanical issue does not necessarily indicate that a flight is unsafe.

"Part of that delay is diagnosing, part of it's addressing it and part of it's getting all the paperwork right and just doing all the final readbacks and rechecks to make sure that everything is safe for departure," Leff said.

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"A long delay in and of itself is not a safety concern," he added.

Leff also noted that aircraft are equipped with multiple safety systems and emergency procedures designed to protect passengers when problems arise.

"There are tremendous redundancies of systems and emergency procedures in place, such that the cockpit crew immediately reacted, responded and got everyone on the ground and off the aircraft to safety," Leff said.

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"It's certainly not something that you want to go through — but even when something goes wrong, that doesn't mean that things end badly at all," he added.