Mississippi police shot and killed toddler Kohen Wiley during Walmart diaper theft pursuit
New body-cam and surveillance footage shows the chaotic moments before a Senatobia officer shot dead 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in June. No criminal charges will be filed.
New footage reveals final moments before Mississippi officer shot 1-year-old Kohen Wiley
Newly released body-camera and surveillance footage shows the chaotic sequence of events that preceded a Mississippi police officer shooting and killing a one-year-old boy inside a car at a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia in June, magnoliastatelive.com reports.
Five officers rushed into the parking lot after two women were accused of stealing diapers and baby clothes. A gray sedan — carrying 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother Vellesiya Wiley, and driver Latoya Ferrell — reversed and struck a parked vehicle as officers ran toward the car and ordered the driver to stop.
As the sedan halted briefly, officers surrounded the vehicle. The driver then accelerated and veered left, appearing to move toward at least one officer before passing between two of them. At least one officer fired into the car.
The Mississippi attorney general's office announced on Monday it would not bring criminal charges against the officer who fatally shot Kohen.
What the footage shows
The compilation of body-cam and surveillance clips was first published by Mississippi news outlet Darkhorse Press. A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorised to discuss sensitive matters, confirmed its authenticity. A video analysis conducted by The New York Times, Mississippi Today and Verite News found the footage matched portions of bystander video recorded at the scene.
Body-cam footage released on Tuesday captures the perspective of two of the five responding officers — not that of the officer who fired. The footage does not show the full extent of the police response and does not clearly depict Kohen, his mother or Ferrell inside the vehicle.
The recording begins with one officer of unknown identity rushing toward the gray sedan. The vehicle reverses and strikes a parked SUV as officers approach, shouting at the driver to stop. When the sedan moves forward again, at least one officer is visible in front of it on the passenger side, and a second stands closer to the driver's side. Both have weapons drawn. As the car advances, at least one officer opens fire, then appears to discharge three further shots while standing to the side of the vehicle.
Grainy surveillance footage included in the Darkhorse Press compilation captures the scene from a wider, elevated angle. Two women — one holding a child — are seen running toward the vehicle and reversing out of a space as officers pursue them.
Family yet to see full footage
More video of the incident has not yet been made public. Kohen's family is scheduled to view the remaining footage on Thursday morning. His grandmother, Veronica Roberson, said state officials had told the family the footage included Walmart surveillance recordings and footage from five body-worn cameras.
Kohen's mother told investigators she had been holding her son in her arms in the front passenger seat when Ferrell attempted to reverse and then drive forward. Ferrell was seriously injured in the incident.
Officer placed on leave; no charges filed
Hunter Foster, an officer with the Senatobia Police Department, was placed on administrative leave while state authorities investigated. Although he has not been officially named as the officer who fired, Foster is the only officer present that day to have been placed on leave.
In the hours following the shooting, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation issued a statement saying officers had fired at the vehicle after it drove toward an officer, "almost striking" one.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican currently campaigning for the governorship, oversees the review of police shooting investigations in the state. In late September, Fitch said her office had cleared police in 82 of 86 officer-involved shootings during her tenure. In a 2024 statement she said: "The good men and women who wear the uniform to keep us safe and maintain law and order in our communities need to know that their Attorney General will always have their back."
Weeks of protests in Senatobia
The shooting triggered weeks of protests and repeated calls for transparency in Senatobia, a city of roughly 8,400 residents located approximately 40 miles south of Memphis. Activists and Kohen's family had been demanding the release of body-camera and dashcam footage since the incident occurred.
Reporting was contributed by Jerry Mitchell and Julie Lee of Mississippi Today, and Aric Toler and Alexander Cardia of The New York Times.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)