Mother of 1-year-old Killed by Senatobia Police Refutes Claims Driver Charged at Officers
Updated
Updated · Commercial Appeal · Jun 17
Mother of 1-year-old Killed by Senatobia Police Refutes Claims Driver Charged at Officers
3 articles · Updated · Commercial Appeal · Jun 17
Summary
Vallesiya Wiley said in a video released June 17 that she lifted baby Kohen Wiley so Senatobia officers could see him before shots were fired, contradicting police claims about the weekend shooting.
Wiley said she and her son were walking away from a Walmart stop involving a friend, then got into the car as officers approached with guns while the vehicle was backing out.
Three to four shots were fired, Wiley said; one struck Kohen in the rib cage and others hit her friend in the arm and thigh. Kohen later died at a local hospital, and the friend was airlifted.
Wiley also denied police assertions that the group had been shoplifting, saying diaper purchases should appear on self-checkout video and that she has not been charged.
One officer was placed on administrative leave on June 16, and protests have erupted in Senatobia, about 40 miles south of Memphis, as civil rights attorney Ben Crump represents the family.
A mother says she held up her baby; an officer fired. Will bodycam footage reveal the truth behind this fatal shooting?
In America's deadliest state for gun violence, what will it take to stop minor incidents from becoming tragedies?
1-Year-Old Killed by Police in Mississippi: Incident Details, Legal Questions, and Demands for Accountability
Overview
On June 14, 2026, a police shooting at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, led to the tragic death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley after officers responded to a shoplifting call. The incident began when police tried to stop a vehicle, which reportedly drove toward them, prompting an officer to fire. As of June 17, 2026, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is still investigating, with Walmart cooperating and expressing sorrow. Details about the officer involved, police policies, and critical evidence remain undisclosed. The shooting sparked public protests, met with tear gas by police, highlighting ongoing tensions and calls for greater transparency and reform in Mississippi.