Newly released video footage has provided a detailed look at the chaotic moments leading up to a tragic police shooting in Senatobia, Mississippi, which resulted in the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. The compiled footage, published by local news outlet Darkhorse Press and authenticated by a law enforcement official, captures five officers pursuing two women accused of shoplifting diapers and baby clothes outside a Walmart parking lot this summer.
The sequence of events documented in the video shows the vehicle carrying the toddler, his mother Vellesiya Wiley, and another woman colliding with a parked car before the shooting occurred. The release of the footage offers critical context to an encounter that has sparked weeks of intense protests and renewed community demands for transparency and accountability from local law enforcement.
Conflicting Accounts and Body Camera Revelations
According to the newly public recordings, a security guard spoke with Vellesiya Wiley and the driver near the store’s exit before the women ran toward their vehicle. Officers inside responded immediately, rushing into the parking lot and ordering the driver to halt. The driver pulled forward, then reversed, striking a sheriff’s deputy who was seen limping afterward. The vehicle then circled, struck a parked car, and accelerated through the officers.
The footage indicates that officer Foster opened fire as the vehicle moved past him, striking both the 1-year-old infant and the driver. Medical personnel later pronounced the toddler dead at a nearby hospital, while the driver sustained critical injuries.
The video recordings also captured internal dialogue among law enforcement officers immediately following the incident. A recording from a medical facility revealed Foster telling a fellow officer that he had not seen the child in the car. “I didn’t even see a f*ing baby in her lap,” Foster stated, to which another officer replied, “Nobody knew the baby was there. All I saw was two females in the car.”
This contradicts initial public statements and highlights a stark divergence from the account provided by Vellesiya Wiley, who maintained that she frantically held her young son up to show officers that a child was present inside the automobile.
Legal Rulings and Community Backlash
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office announced that it would not bring criminal charges against the officer involved, stating that the use of force was deemed justified following an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation pursuant to Section 45-1-6 of the Mississippi Code. The attorney general’s office declined to comment on the newly emerged footage.
Following the tragedy, the family retained civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner. Crump previously challenged the state’s narrative by pointing to an independent autopsy report indicating that the fatal bullet entered through the side of the vehicle, raising questions about whether the officer was directly in the path of danger.
“A 1-year-old baby was shot and killed by a police officer, and now the state of Mississippi says that use of force was justified,” Crump said in a statement prior to the video’s release, criticizing the lack of early transparency from state investigators.
Scrutiny Over Departmental Conduct
The fatal encounter has drawn broader scrutiny regarding the Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Department, compounding community tensions over previous controversial arrests involving Black residents. Internal records revealed that officer Foster used a racially offensive slur against a co-worker just two days prior to the shooting. Additionally, the department has faced intense criticism over past incidents, including the 2023 arrest of a 10-year-old boy for public urination and the resignation of former Police Chief Harold Vanderford after private text messages containing racial slurs surfaced.
As community members continue to demand systemic reforms and accountability, state officials maintain that the thorough review of all available evidence, including body-worn camera recordings and security footage, has concluded the criminal inquiry.
Key Details of the Investigation
- Incident Date: June 14 (Summer)
- Location: Walmart parking lot, Senatobia, Mississippi
- Victim: 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
- Legal Status: Mississippi Attorney General’s Office declined criminal charges against the officer, ruling the use of force justified.
- Representation: Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner representing the Wiley family.
