Wiley family attorneys seek federal inquiry after fatal shooting footage surfaces

Roberson says footage showed five officers with guns drawn

One-year-old Kohen Wiley was killed by police in Senatobia, Mississippi, and footage of the fatal shooting was made public after Mississippi attorney general Lynn Fitch announced on Monday that the shooting “was justified.” Family attorneys Ben Crump and Van Turner are seeking a federal investigation into the fatal shooting.

The footage was first reported by Darkhorse Press, a Mississippi outlet. On Thursday, Crump and Turner, who represent the Wiley family, held a press conference at the Senatobia Church of Christ in Senatobia, Mississippi. The conference came shortly after members of the family were able to view the footage. Crump and Turner are seeking a federal investigation into the fatal shooting.

Veronica Roberson, Kohen’s maternal grandmother, said the footage showed five officers with guns drawn descending on a car carrying Vellesiya Wiley, the baby’s mother; Latoya Ferrell, a friend; and Kohen Wiley. Crump called the footage “excessive from the very start” and said the officers approached the women and baby with guns drawn.

At the press conference, Roberson said, “The word ‘justified’ has haunted me since Monday.” She fought back tears as she spoke. She also said, “I went to work and I had to find out through news sources … no one reached out to the family. A single call, a heads up, anything to prepare us for what we was about to face.”

Roberson described the leaked videos of the shooting from multiple outlets as “slaps in the face.”

According to initial reports, officers were responding to a shoplifting call. The allegation was that Vellesiya Wiley and Latoya Ferrell stole a pack of diapers. Crump said, “We’re the most prosperous nation in the world and we’re going to draw guns to shoot people over misdemeanor allegations of baby diapers?” He noted that neither woman was ever arrested for shoplifting. Even if they had been, Crump said, shoplifting is a misdemeanor that does not qualify for the death sentence.

Lasandra Williams, Kohen’s paternal grandmother, said: “After what I’ve seen today, I’m having a difficult time understanding the word ‘justified,’” and said, “I don’t understand how it’s OK for someone to take a sweet, innocent soul – Lord knows I miss him so much.”

Crump and Turner were joined at the press conference by both of Kohen’s grandmothers, his father, representatives of the Senatobia Committee for Accountability and Building Bridges Coalition and local civil rights organizations.

Crump said investigators would officially release the footage later Thursday afternoon. Next Sunday, 1 November, would be Wiley’s second birthday.