Senatobia Police Shooting of Toddler Kohen Wiley Sparks Transparency Concerns

On June 14, 2024, Senatobia, Mississippi police responded to a Walmart call about alleged shoplifting of children's clothes and diapers. Later that afternoon officers fired multiple shots at a Ford Fusion, killing 1‑year‑old Kohen Wiley, who was seated on his mother Vellesiya Wiley’s lap. The family says the toddler was struck in the chest from the side of the car, a detail confirmed by the autopsy.

The two‑page internal police report released by the Senatobia Police Department contains no information about the officers present, their names, or why they fired, and it does not even mention that a child was killed. The Tate County Sheriff’s Office noted that an unnamed officer fired at an “oncoming vehicle.” Sgt. Hunter Foster was placed on administrative leave two days after the incident, but the department has not identified which officer discharged their weapon. Civil‑rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, released photos showing the passenger‑side window shattered and a bullet hole in the windshield, suggesting the vehicle was shot from beside it. Requests for video footage have been denied, prompting community activists to demand accountability and full transparency.