Mississippi Family Demands Police Release Video in Shooting Incident

A family in Mississippi is urging authorities to release video footage after their 1-year-old child, Kohen Wiley, was killed by police gunfire. The incident occurred when officers responded to a shoplifting call and fired into a moving vehicle, raising questions about whether the officers were at risk.

The shooting has caused outrage in Senatobia, where concerns over police interactions with Black residents have grown. Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, expressed her grief during a news conference, stating, “I watched my baby take his first breath, and I watched my baby take his last breath.”

In the vehicle with Kohen were his mother and another woman who suffered critical injuries, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), which is investigating the case. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family at a local church, insisting on the release of any available body camera, dash camera, or Walmart security camera footage. Crump stressed, “The longer you delay releasing the video, the more distrustful we become.”

The MBI has made this case a top priority, with multiple agents working to examine every detail. However, they have not disclosed whether they will release the video footage. Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford has not commented on the situation.

State investigators said the officers arrived to find two women and a child entering a car, which then drove toward them, almost hitting one officer. In response, an officer fired their weapon as the vehicle fled. The officers involved were unharmed.

Kohen’s mother later explained that the shoplifting call was about a box of diapers her friend was allegedly carrying, which they believe was paid for. The MBI has not commented on these specifics.

Crump questioned why police did not simply record the vehicle’s license plate number instead of engaging. He argued, “They were called over a box of diapers and a family now has to bury their baby. You cannot put those two things next to each other and call it reasonable policing.”

An independent autopsy is planned to determine specific details about how the child was shot. Crump pointed out that examining the bullet angles might reveal whether the officer fired from in front of or beside the vehicle, indicating the perceived threat level.

Policing expert Ian Adams, from the University of South Carolina, noted that shooting into a moving vehicle is generally considered unsafe due to the potential harm to passengers and bystanders.