Turner is also asking why the officer felt they needed to fire shots into the car knowing their was a child inside and that the driver was trying to get away from officers.
Vellesiya Wiley claims she showed officers her 1-year-old was in the car just moments before an officer fired shots killing her son.
SENATOBIA, Mississippi — The mother of a 1-year-old shot and killed by a Mississippi officer during an alleged shoplifting incident is speaking out.
Vellesiya Wiley is mourning the death of her son Kohen Wiley.
Vellesiya claims her friend was confronted as they were leaving a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi on Sunday, June 14.
In a video, released by her attorney, 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.
Credit: Ben Crump Law
Her friend was hit in the arm and thigh, she said.
Vellesiya claims her friend was not driving toward the officers when the shots were fired.
Kohen’s family is also calling for the release of the officers’ body cam video and surveillance video from the Walmart.
“We want a transparent investigation. We want a thorough investigation, and we want to make sure there is no chance of any type of cover-up,” said attorney Van Turner.
Turner is also asking why the officer felt they needed to fire shots into the car knowing their was a child inside and that the driver was trying to get away from officers.
According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI), investigators allege the driver drove toward officers as they attempted to stop the car. Investigators said an officer fired at the vehicle before it left the scene.
The women drove to a hospital, where 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was pronounced dead.
Vellesiya claims she was released by police and has not been charged.
The Senatobia Police Department, which responded to the call, did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press.
“As the investigation progresses and facts are verified, we will share as much information as possible,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
The Senatobia officer that fired the shots has been placed on administrative leave.
The Tate County Sheriff’s Office, which was also present during the shooting, declined to comment.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said none of the officers were seriously injured in the incident.
Walmart said it was working with law enforcement during the investigation.
“We’re saddened by what took place at our Senatobia, MS, store,” a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement.
The store closed due to protests Tuesday evening, during which law enforcement deployed tear gas to deter the crowds.
Senatobia is about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
