Mississippi Attorney General Clears Officer in Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley

SENATOBIA, Miss. — Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office has determined that a police officer was justified in using deadly force during a confrontation outside a Walmart that resulted in the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley.

The decision, announced Monday, October 19, has renewed demands for transparency from the child’s family and civil rights advocates, who continue to question the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The incident occurred June 14, 2026, when Senatobia police responded to a reported shoplifting incident involving diapers and baby clothing.

Kohen was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle, being held by his mother, Vellesiya Wiley, when Sgt. Hunter Foster opened fire. The toddler was fatally wounded, and the woman driving the vehicle was also injured.

Authorities maintain that the vehicle accelerated toward officers, nearly striking one of them, prompting the use of deadly force.

However, Kohen’s mother disputes that account.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wiley family, has challenged the police department’s explanation, pointing to findings from an independent autopsy.

According to the family’s forensic examination, the fatal shot entered through the passenger-side window, striking Kohen on his right side. Crump argues that the findings raise serious questions about whether the officer was directly in the vehicle’s path when he fired.

Neither woman involved in the incident has been criminally charged in connection with the alleged shoplifting.

Despite months of requests from the family, community members, and civil rights advocates, the body-camera and surveillance footage documenting the shooting has not been publicly released.

The Attorney General’s Office issued only a brief statement announcing its conclusion that the officer’s use of force was justified, without publicly providing a detailed explanation of the evidence supporting that determination.

Crump has condemned the decision and renewed his demand for the footage to be released.

The case has sparked protests and intensified scrutiny of the Senatobia Police Department, particularly regarding its relationship with the city’s Black community.

For Kohen Wiley’s family, the state’s decision leaves significant questions unanswered about the final moments of the toddler’s life.

As of October 19, the officer has been cleared by the Attorney General’s Office, but the public has yet to see the footage that could provide critical answers about what happened that afternoon.