Police Fatally Shoot 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley After Diaper Theft Call, Sparking Protests in 8,300-Person Senatobia
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 22
Police Fatally Shoot 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley After Diaper Theft Call, Sparking Protests in 8,300-Person Senatobia
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 22
Summary
June 14 gunfire during a Walmart stop in Senatobia killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley after officers responded to an alleged shoplifting of diapers and tried to stop a car leaving the store.
Mississippi investigators said the driver steered toward officers and nearly hit one before an officer fired; Kohen’s mother, represented by Ben Crump, disputes both that account and the theft allegation.
A policing expert said officers should avoid shooting into moving vehicles because of the risk to other occupants, while the shooter and the driver have both been placed on administrative leave pending the MBI investigation.
Protests and accountability demands have intensified in the town of about 8,300 after activists linked Kohen’s death to earlier complaints against Senatobia police, including a 2025 Walmart-lot arrest and a 2023 case involving a 10-year-old Black boy.
The killing has also revived broader racial justice concerns, with advocates comparing it to other deaths of Black Americans during police responses to low-level alleged offenses.
When does a shoplifting call for diapers justify a police response that leaves a one-year-old child dead?
With an alleged history of force, why was the officer who shot a toddler rapidly promoted by Senatobia police?
Was a toddler's life ended because a car was fleeing or because it was used as a weapon?
Senatobia Police Shooting of 1-Year-Old Sparks Investigation, Protests, and Demands for Policy Change
Overview
On June 14, 2026, police officers in Senatobia, Mississippi, fatally shot 1-year-old Kohen Wiley while responding to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart, intensifying long-standing tensions between law enforcement and the Black community. The investigation remains ongoing, with key details about the officers’ status and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation’s findings yet to be released. Conflicting accounts of the incident have fueled public outcry and demands for transparency, accountability, and reform. Community members, supported by civil rights leaders, are calling for the release of video evidence and changes to police use-of-force policies to prevent future tragedies.