A Baby’s Death over Diapers

Photo by miguelb is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

By Queennandi

Editor's note:

This country will criminalize a poor mama while commending trillionaires who orchestrate these conditions of poverty. Poor Magazine runs the The Po Mamas Pañales (diapers) Fund, which provides free diapers to babies, because we understand how poor mamas are criminalized for getting their babies what they need. The Po Mamas Pañales Fund distributes diapers every Thursday at noon, at 8032 MacArthur Blvd.

Part 1

One year old Kohen Wiley was shot and killed and his mother critically injured during a police shooting over the alleged theft of diapers at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi. 

According to MBI investigators, law enforcement was responding to a shoplifting call involving two adults and one minor who were suspects in an alleged theft of diapers. When the “suspects” tried to flee the scene, police said that the car was going towards the direction of officers in an attempt to run them down, therefore to preserve just their lives, the police opened fire on the vehicle in which the precious toddler Kohen was fatally wounded.

While the family of Kohen Wiley demands justice for the baby, the “sinful stone throwers of society” argue that the alleged theft led to the demise of the child, so the adults who were involved are the ones responsible.

The tragedy of this incident is common in Amerikkka. The verdict against poor people who “expropriate” for survival is handed down with the lack an open mind to the fact that no one looks into “the actionary” executive orders of systematic genocide and “poverty hits” that are signed into law by the brutally beast-minded president Donald Trump(a-clan) that affects this nation, especially people of color. Instead, the blame game always targets the “reactionary” that is in survival mode. The overlooked fact of the matter is the CPS system in this country will remove children from their homes if not cared for properly and charges are filed in a lot of these cases against the parents, HOWEVER no charges are EVER filed against the political tyrants for attempted famine/murder/genocide upon the innocent children across Amerikkka with the stroke of their poisoned blood-inked pens leads to parents and other caregivers having little to no choice but to “reparate” in order to survive.

With that said, it should tell readers a lot about this country and its dehumanizing political practices in a nutshell. 

The stigma of “drug addicts doing all the shoplifting” is a played out cliche because unfortunately it has been a survival tactic for many that lives in a society where “wicked rulers” say that we are not entitled to food or decent housing that only the race-class privileged are allowed to reap. No one argues the fact that in some states there is access to food, clothing and other pantries for necessities available, so kudos to those who practice the “we take care of each other” universal obligation to people in need. There are solutions to this crisis - instead of billionaire corporations like Walmart sending death squads to make arrests on alleged shoplifters, try having diaper/food drives especially in areas that are low/no income, areas that corporations are always extracting wealth from. Instead of condemning a drug addict to hell, why not contribute to rehabilitation sanctuaries and permanent housing instead of being quietly in cahoots with drug distributors (systematic genocide, once again). Those who have means to buy diapers or a meal for someone who cannot, please do so because it is a beautiful, rewarding feeling to help out others and the universe will bless your good deeds.

And the final message of this piece is to acknowledge the fact that “theft” has been always been a tactic to obtain generational wealth, power and the ability to oppress Mama Earth with impunity. Universal theft from the United Snakkkes to Europe was way more ruthless, bloody and dehumanizing than a “meth addict or poor mother/father” shoplifting from corporate stores. What about the theft of Africans, the theft of our priceless artifacts from all over the world. The theft of the beautiful, rare animals from all across the globe who are being incarcerated in “zoos” AND hunted and slaughtered for profit. What about the theft of cultures, religions, languages, land, identities, the life of Kohen Wiley and masses of others-MAMA EARTH - PERIOD! 

For centuries these demonized “humans” have been given pardons for their crimes against humanity as a whole, while a child was killed over diapers. These “Universal Beasts” still continue to hand out death sentences to Mama Earth and her children, but at the same time they have the unmitigated gall to throw around the slogan “Hello Humankindness” WOW!

Part 2

The murder of 1-year old Kohen Wiley by Senatobia police has triggered mass public outrage that has led to protests in front of both Walmart and the police department in Senatobia, Mississippi. According to the earlier reports from the MBI, Kohen Wiley’s mother and a family friend were accused of shoplifting diapers from a Walmart store and then allegedly tried to run over police officers in an attempt to escape which resulted in the officers opening fire on the vehicle killing 1 year old Kohen and critically injuring the driver. 

In a brief video posted by the local media, a gray car was seen driving away steering towards the left for a second while police were running to their cars that were parked on the right side of the parking lot, which doesn’t coincide with earlier reports stating that the driver was attempting to run down the officers while fleeing. 

Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley said that the three “went to Walmart for diapers” and that they were stopped as they exited the store but she “kept walking because it had nothing to do with me” she said. Another media source had said that “the diapers were paid for at a self- checkout line” but the mother was never the initial “suspect” in the alleged shoplifting incident when they were intercepted from leaving. 

Ms. Wiley had also stated that “officers ran towards the car with guns drawn” so she had “raised baby Kohen up to show that he was in the car.”

The driver insisted that she didn’t attempt to hit any officers in an attempt to flee the scene, however it was also said that the driver had accidentally bumped into another car while the passenger’s side door was open and the police officers started shooting.

With so many conflicting statements in the earlier reports, attorneys representing the Wiley family -Ben Crump and Val Turner- are requesting that the videos from both Walmart and the police body cameras be released so they can get a better understanding of what happened that led to the toddler’s death. MBI has said that it may take up to several months for the video footage to be released, which is another claim that doesn’t make any sense. However, it seems as if they want to do their own investigation first, but with so many inconsistencies in the earlier reports, any conclusion to the MBI investigation cannot be trusted.

Even though the child’s mother hasn’t been formally charged with any crime, the “sinful stone throwers of society” feels like she should be charged with child endangerment for bringing Kohen with her in the first place, but if she wasn’t accused and charged with shoplifting how is that putting her son in danger? 

The officers on the scene are liable for baby Kohen Wiley losing his precious life because no matter what the circumstances are, there are protocols that should be followed to prevent this from happening to anyone, regardless if they are right or wrong. The golden rule to preserve lives is often overlooked especially when it comes down to people of color and the fact that Kohen’s mother had made it known that there was a baby with the adults further convinces us that our lives are expendable. 

Serial killers like Ted Bundy and many others have been taken into custody “safely” without a hitch, these folks who have committed horrific crimes seems to have more rights than a child caught in the crossfire due to alleged shoplifting, and not only are they treated like “human beings” until proven guilty, they go on to be glorified in movies and documentaries. 

In Senatobia, Mississippi the pattern of young black boys being criminalized and killed is a tragic scenario that is no different from any other state in this kkkountry. About three years back, a 10 year old African descendant boy was arrested for urinating by his mother’s car while she was in a lawyer’s office and he was given probation. The case was eventually dismissed when he was required to write a two-page thesis about Kobe Bryant which had many folks scratching their heads over the point that was being made by doing this, however one positive point was brought to the surface- the child had survived and with that said, many praises to the divine powers of righteousness for protecting him and many prayers go out seeking justice for Kohen Wiley.

Queennandi Shabazz PNN QCH 2026