Mississippi declines charges in toddler police shooting
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The gist
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch declined to charge officers in the June shooting death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley.
Her office called the force justified; the family's lawyer says body-camera footage is withheld.
Background
Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old, was shot and killed in June in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, after officers responded to a shoplifting report and fired at a truck. Lynn Fitch, the Mississippi Attorney General, announced in October that her office found the use of force justified and would not file charges. The shooting drew protests and calls for accountability from Black lawmakers, lawyers and activists, and the family's legal team has challenged the state's account.
How it unfolded
- Jun 14, 2026Senatobia police responded around 2:05 pm to a shoplifting report at a Walmart; officers fired at a truck to stop it from striking them, and one bullet hit 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
- June 2026The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said police fired when a vehicle drove toward an officer, almost striking one; Officer Hunter Foster was placed on leave while state authorities investigated.
- Oct 19, 2026Fitch's office announced the use of force was justified and, in a letter posted by the city of Senatobia, said no charges would be filed because of insufficient evidence of criminal conduct.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Fitch's office said its review found the use of force was justified and that there was insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to bring charges.
- Family lawyer
- Attorney Ben Crump asked how the conclusion can be accepted while the family and public have not been allowed to see body-camera footage, and urged the state to release it.
- Defense
- Martin Zummach, lawyer for Foster, called the decision expected and overdue.
- Family
- Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, denied taking anything from the store and said the officer kept firing after she held Kohen up to show a baby was in the car; his grandmother said no official had contacted the family about the decision.
Still unverified
Foster has not been directly named by officials as the officer who fired, though he was the only officer present that day placed on leave; multiple local news outlets have named the alleged officer, which no state or local official has confirmed. State authorities did not say if or when body-camera or surveillance video would be released, and it was unclear what other evidence they considered. Several witnesses, including Vellesiya Wiley, said as recently as this month they had never been interviewed by investigators.