Mississippi Family Demands Video Release After Fatal Police Shooting of Toddler

A family in Mississippi is pushing for the release of video footage following the tragic death of their 1-year-old child, who was killed when police opened fire on a moving vehicle. The incident has intensified concerns in Senatobia, a small city grappling with allegations of troubling interactions between police and Black residents.

Family’s Call for Transparency

Kohen Wiley was inside a car with his mother and another woman in a Walmart parking lot on June 14 when law enforcement responded to a call about shoplifting. According to the family, they were leaving, while officers claimed the vehicle was moving toward them.

Vellesiya Wiley, the child’s mother, expressed her grief and demand for answers, stating at a press conference, “I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath.”

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reported that another woman in the car suffered critical injuries. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, speaking at a local church with the family and civil rights activists, urged the release of any relevant video footage from body cameras, dash cameras, or Walmart security cameras. Crump stated, “If that is the truth, then show us that,” emphasizing the growing distrust due to the video’s unavailability.

Questions Surrounding the Incident

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation prioritized the case, assigning multiple agents to ensure thorough examination. The agency clarified that the officers involved in the incident were not injured. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford did not respond to inquiries for comments.

An initial report from state investigators described that upon reaching the Walmart scene, police encountered two women and a child getting into a car and leaving. An attempt was made to stop the vehicle, which allegedly headed toward them, requiring an officer to discharge their weapon as the car fled.

Controversy Over Police Actions

Kohen’s mother explained the shoplifting call related to a box of diapers her friend carried, asserting belief in the friend’s payment for them. Investigators have not commented on these specifics.

Crump criticized the police decision to fire, questioning why they didn’t note the vehicle’s license plate and allow the car to leave. “They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby,” Crump lamented, challenging the justification of actions taken.

An independent autopsy is planned to determine more details about the shooting. While it is clear a police bullet fatally wounded the child, understanding the bullet trajectory may reveal the officer’s position concerning the car’s path, which is vital to determine perceived threats.

Policing expert Ian Adams, a criminal justice professor at the University of South Carolina, remarked that police are generally advised against shooting into moving vehicles due to the considerable risk to passengers and others nearby.