Kohen Wiley: Calls for justice at funeral of 1-year-old killed by police
Calls for justice echoed through the funeral of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley as hundreds of mourners gathered in Mississippi to remember the toddler who was fatally shot by police earlier this month during an officer-involved incident that remains under investigation.
Family, friends and community members filled Hosanna Family Worship Center in Pope, on Saturday, where speakers remembered Kohen's life and urged accountability for his death.
Van Turner, civil rights attorney representing the Wiley family, led the crowd in chants of “justice for baby Kohen,” NBC News reported.
“There is nothing in that Walmart store that is more precious than a baby,” Turner said.
The funeral came nearly two weeks after Kohen was killed when a Senatobia police officer opened fire on a vehicle outside a Walmart during an incident that authorities said began as a response to a reported shoplifting call, with police saying the vehicle nearly struck officers.
The investigation remains ongoing, with Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Bailey Martin previously telling Newsweek that body-camera footage could be released within months and that the agency has prioritized the case.
The service celebrated Kohen's short life as family and friends remembered him as an energetic toddler. He was buried with a stuffed Bluey toy while his mother Vellesiya Wiley held on to her own Bluey toy, NBC reported.
Video posted to social media shows Kohen’s small Bluey-themed casket transported in a white horse-drawn carriage.
Mississippi television station WLOX reported that nearly 300 people were at the service, which took place at 2:00 p.m. local time.
Members of Black Lives Matter Birmingham Grass Roots traveled to Mississippi to show their support for the family, Memphis television station WREG reported.
The funeral came a day after a public visitation in Senatobia, where members of the community gathered to pay their respects ahead of Saturday's service. The Building Bridges Coalition had also planned a candlelight vigil for Saturday evening, but it was canceled after a city official did not submit a required form, according to the civil rights organization.
Newsweek has contacted the City of Sardis’ City Clerk, via online contact form outside of normal working hours, for comment.
Authorities say the shooting occurred on June 14 after Senatobia police responded to a report of an alleged shoplifting at a Walmart.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said officers approached a vehicle carrying Kohen and two adults as it attempted to leave the parking lot. According to the agency, the driver accelerated toward officers, nearly striking one of them, prompting an officer to fire into the vehicle. Kohen was struck and later died from his injuries.
Kohen's family has disputed that version of events. His mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has said she lifted her son to show officers there was a child in the car and that the vehicle was reversing away from police—not driving toward them—when shots were fired.
The family's attorneys, including civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, have also rejected allegations that anyone in the vehicle stole diapers from the store and have continued to call for the release of police body-camera and surveillance footage.
Talking about the bodycam footage, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation previously told Newsweek: "We cannot put a specific timeframe on these types of investigations, as each case is unique and requires a thorough investigation. However, we typically aim to complete investigations within 6-9 months and this case has been made a priority. Once MBI's investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Attorney General’s Office."
The officer who fired the fatal shot, who has not been publicly identified, has been placed on administrative leave.