A Black infant was murdered by Mississippi Police.
[This post is a re-upload of my previous post, as I've learned that the family no longer wishes for photos of Kohen to be spread around by those not involved in the community. I will keep the original version up, with reblogs turned off for preservation and transparency.]
I also recommend checking out NEVERMORE-WAS-HERE 's post, as it contains a lot of the same information but much more concisely.
The news won't say the word INFANT, but I will. Kohen Kartier Wiley was 1 year old.
KOHEN KARTIER WILEY WAS ONE YEAR OLD. HE WAS A GOD DAMN BABY! AND THE POLICE KNEW!
The following is from Mississippi Free Press(links preserved; emphasis mine):
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety released a statement on June 14, alleging that the shooting happened in response to one of two subjects driving “in the direction of” officers. A clip of cellphone video obtained by Fox 13 Memphis shows a car driving away from officers, but it does not appear to show the shooting itself. A photo of the car shows multiple bullet holes in the windshield, including a bullet hole on the passenger side of the front windshield.
Notably, the DPS statement appears to acknowledge that police witnessed the presence of Kohen Wiley prior to the individuals entering their vehicle, and before the officer discharged the weapon. The officer has not been identified.
“Law enforcement officers responded to a shoplifting call at Walmart on U.S. 51. Upon arrival, officers encountered two subjects and a juvenile child fleeing from the store into a vehicle. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one,” the statement read in part. “An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene. The subjects arrived at a local hospital where one juvenile child in the vehicle was pronounced deceased, and another subject had critical injuries. No law enforcement officers received any serious physical injury.”
Members of Kohen Wiley’s family have denied that any shoplifting took place. WREG reported that, before the shooting, a witness saw two women exit the store: one carrying a single box of diapers, and one carrying the infant child. Family told WREG that Kohen’s mother was riding in the passenger seat holding the child when the officer shot him and that the aunt, who was driving, was in critical condition. Another witness told the news station that she saw the car driving away with police officers chasing after it on foot just before hearing gunshots. At present, no arrests have been announced in the incident.
“Senatobia Police Department get away with too much stuff,” WREGH reported Kohen’s great-grandmother Carolyn Stokes, as saying. “I hear about it all the time. It’s in the news all the time. Y’all probably down here all the time, recording this stuff, but it’s just too much.” Members of the community plan to gather at Senatobia City Hall at 5 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon to call for accountability for Kohen Wiley’s killing.
So let me get this right: It's legal to attempt to murder two Black women for bringing their child to the store for a diaper run. It's legal to attempt to murder two Black women for trying to flee your gestapo as you harass and threaten them for a crime they did not do.
I hope the citizens of Senatobia raise holy hell for this.
UPDATE 1: Action News 5 — Wiley’s family has retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent them.
“A 1-year-old child is dead because police officers in Mississippi opened fire on a car in a crowded Walmart parking lot,” Crump said in a statement. “Kohen Wiley was a baby. His mother, who has not been charged with any crime, says she was trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car. They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”
UPDATE 2: Yahoo News — In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Bridges said the boy's mother did not steal from Walmart "and was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime."
"She was skipping and playing with her child kohen to the car moments earlier not fleeing a theft," he said. "What started as an ordinary day, playing with your baby and getting into a car, turned into the worst day of a mother's life and a tragedy this community will carry for years to come."
He called on the police department to release body camera footage and store surveillance video.
NOTE: Marquell Bridges is the founder of local advocacy group Building Bridges for Community Unity and Progress. Check out the org's Facebook page [HERE]
This is what Marquell Bridges had to say in full:
The officer fired and killed 1-year-old Kohen Kartier Wiley before the car was even crunk. Release the body camera footage, dash camera footage, Walmart surveillance video, and the alleged 911 call. Justice for Kohen 💔💔
When you see the door come open, that is a young Black mother begging and pleading with police, trying to show them that her baby was in the car that her child, Kohen, was in the car an innocent life.
Kohen's mother did not steal anything and was not a witness to or accomplice to any crime. She was skipping and playing with her child kohen to the car moments earlier not fleeing a theft.
What started as an ordinary day, playing with your baby and getting into a car, turned into the worst day of a mother's life and a tragedy this community will carry for years to come.
Shame on the Sheriff's Department. Shame on Senatobia PD.
Release the body camera footage. Release the dash camera footage. Release the Walmart surveillance video. Release the alleged 911 call and transcript.
No justice, no peace. Justice for Kohen Kartier Wiley.
UPDATE 3: Marquell Bridges is currently live on his Facebook page streaming the gathering at the Walmart where the murder happened. Police have shot tear gas a the protestors as of 8:01 PM EST.
My ability to follow Bridges' posts is limited due to deleting my Facebook account, but I may make a burner to follow along and keep information surrounding this up to date.
As of posting, there does not seem to be any crowdfunding for the family at this time.
UPDATE 4: THE PRICE of PAMPERS: Police Propaganda and the Execution of Baby Kohen by Melanin Marie
This article was shared online in various places discussing the murder of Kohen Kartier Wiley, so I wanted to share it here as well. This section in particular stuck out to me, but I encourage everyone to read the full piece.
The violence against us doesn’t start when a judge bangs a gavel. The execution of our rights begins the precise second a public relations officer crafts a sterile, deceptive phrase like "officer involved shooting". They use that clinical syntax to completely erase the actor. They bury the finger that pulled the trigger. When they emphasize "shoplifting," they attempt to settle a balance sheet in the reader’s mind.
This is straight up narrative warfare. If they can brainwash the block into believing our people were wrong from the jump, they neutralize our collective rage and blunt our resistance. They transform a cold blooded street execution into a tragic consequence of "criminal behavior". We have watched this exact pattern unfold from the asphalt of Ferguson to the rural roads of Mississippi.
It is a deliberate strategy to ensure the hunter is always shielded, while the hunted are blamed for the path of the bullet.
UPDATE 5: Action News 5 — The officer who slaughtered this baby remains unnamed, but was put on administrative leave.
The officer who fired the fatal shots has not been officially identified. Senatobia leaders confirmed Tuesday night that the officer has been placed on administrative leave, which is a standard practice after deadly police shootings. [...] Commissioner Sean Tindell, head of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, urged the community to be patient while his agency investigates the shooting, interviewing witnesses and reviewing body and dash cam video along with Walmart’s surveillance video. “Make no mistake… this is a very tragic situation,” Tindell said. “I want the public to be assured that the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation will conduct its independent investigation. We have five agents working on this case, gathering statements, gathering evidence.”
This is, once again, after a baby was slaughtered and the police gassed protestors. The following screenshot is taken from the moments the gas was deployed. Notice how everyone is keeping their distance from the police as is and nobody is within range for harm to be caused. The gas was deployed after a woman shouts to ask "Where your body cams at?"
Then the crowd disperses away from police and guess what! More gas is deployed.
Funny how that works (sarcastic).
UPDATE 6: JUSTICE FOR KOHEN [Site Link]
Call or email elected officials of Senatobia to demand the release of body camera footage!
City Council Phone Number:
Demetrius Garret, Alderman At Large
Jeff Underwood, Alderman - Ward 1
Kevin Dear, Alderman - Ward 2
Allen Tanksley, Alderman - Ward 3
Chris McConnell, Alderman - Ward 4
Harold Vanderford, Police Chief
UPDATE 7: From Marquell Bridges, who is in close content with Kohen's family. I can't link the Facebook post now, unfortunately, but his public profile is accessible via links above.
There will be a memorial set up at the scene of the murder today, June 17. Visitors are encouraged to place items at the front entrance's tape and throughout designated public areas of the parking lot.
Latoya Fleming, Kohen's aunt, is still fighting for her life in the hospital. The family is asking for prayers. justice, and healing at this time.
UPDATE 8: From Marquell Bridges, a reminder that we must also ask for justice for the woman who was also shot, Latoya:
While we demand justice for Kohen Kartier Wiley, we must not forget that there is also a Black woman fighting for her life.
Justice for Latoya Fleming.
She deserves our prayers, our support, and our commitment to uncovering the full truth of what happened. Her family deserves answers. Our community deserves answers.
We stand with Kohen. We stand with Latoya. We stand with every family seeking truth, transparency, and accountability.
Say their names:
Kohen Kartier Wiley.
Latoya Fleming.
No justice, no peace.
Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has also spoken to media. Here is what she has to say, taken from KHOU 11:
In a video, released by her attorney [shown in the article], Vellesiya said she kept walking because it didn't have anything to do with her or her baby. She said, shortly after she got in the car with her son, her friend got in the car.
Vellesiya said that is when officers arrived and started to draw their guns as her friend was backing up.
"I raised my baby up trying to show them that he was in the car," Vellesiya said.
As her friend was backing up, Vellesiya said the car hit into another car.
She said by the time she set Kohen down, she heard three or four shots.
"One of the shots hit him in his rib cage," Vellesiya said.
