Kohen Wiley: No Charges for Officer in Senatobia Shooting

Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old boy, was shot and died after a Senatobia, Mississippi, police officer fired into a car in a Walmart parking lot on June 14, 2026. On Monday, October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office announced that the officer's use of force was justified, meaning the state will not bring criminal charges.

The decision closes the state's review of a case that drew protests in Senatobia and national attention. Kohen's family, represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has disputed the police account from the start, and no video of the shooting has been released to the public.

Who Was Kohen Wiley?

Kohen Kartier Wiley was a 1-year-old boy. His grandmother, Veronica Roberson, told reporters he would have turned two later this year. On the day he was shot, he was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car in the arms of his mother, Vellesiya Wiley, according to Verite News and Mississippi Today.

His family has shared photos of him with news outlets in the months since his death and has pushed for answers about what happened in the parking lot.

What Happened in the Senatobia Walmart Parking Lot?

Senatobia police were called to the Walmart on a shoplifting report. According to the police account described by SuperTalk Mississippi News, officers encountered two women and a child leaving the store and getting into a vehicle, and they tried to stop it. Police said the driver drove toward the officers and nearly struck one. An officer then fired as the vehicle left, and Kohen was hit. He died later at an area hospital. The driver was also wounded, Verite News reported.

The two women in the car were Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and Latoya Ferrell, NewsOne reported. Police said the women were accused of taking a pack of diapers. According to NewsOne, neither woman has been charged with a crime.

The family tells a very different story. Vellesiya Wiley has denied that anything was stolen and denied that the car was driven at an officer. She has said she lifted her son up to show officers there was a child in the vehicle before the shot was fired. In July, the family's lawyers released a photo showing the car's front side window shot out, which they said suggested officers were not in the car's direct path. The family's attorneys also commissioned an independent autopsy.

Who Was the Officer?

Records identify the officer who fired as Sgt. Hunter Foster of the Senatobia Police Department, according to SuperTalk Mississippi News and Verite News. He was placed on leave days after the shooting. The Attorney General's statement did not name him. His lawyer, Martin Zummach, told Verite News the announcement "is overdue and is as I expected." It is not clear whether Foster will return to duty, SuperTalk reported.

What the Attorney General Said

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the shooting and, as is standard in officer-involved shootings, in September turned its findings over to the Attorney General's Office. In a short news release on Monday, Fitch's office wrote: "In this incident, the Attorney General's Office found the use of force was justified." The release gave no further details about the evidence behind the finding.

Kohen's mother said in an early October interview that MBI agents never interviewed her, according to Verite News. His grandmother said she learned about the decision on Facebook and that no state or local law enforcement official had contacted the family.

How Has the Family Responded?

Crump responded to the decision by repeating his call for the footage to be made public. "If the footage supports the state's decision, release it," he said, according to NewsOne. He added: "We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth."

The family has asked for body camera and dashboard camera video since June. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety has not released surveillance video, and no body camera or parking lot footage has been made public, NewsOne reported, citing the Mississippi Free Press. Protesters in Senatobia argued that the force used was unnecessary and that race played a role in the decision to fire into the vehicle, SuperTalk reported.

What Happens Next?

With the state's criminal review closed, no charges will be filed against the officer under the Attorney General's decision. The family's legal team has not announced a lawsuit in the reports reviewed for this article. It remains unclear if or when officials will release video of the shooting.

Timeline of the Kohen Wiley Case

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the officer who shot Kohen Wiley be charged?

No. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch's office said on October 19, 2026, that the use of force was justified, and the state will not bring charges.

Were Kohen's mother or the driver charged with shoplifting?

According to NewsOne, neither Vellesiya Wiley nor Latoya Ferrell has been charged with a crime. Wiley denies that anything was stolen.

Has video of the shooting been released?

No. No body camera, dashboard camera or parking lot footage has been made public, and it is not clear if or when it will be.

Who is representing Kohen Wiley's family?

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump represents the family.

MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.

Sources

• Verite News / Mississippi Today: Attorney general clears officer in Kohen Wiley shooting
• SuperTalk Mississippi News: AG finds Senatobia shooting justified
• NewsOne: No charges in Kohen Wiley shooting, family reacts
• Mississippi Free Press: Investigative findings sent to the attorney general
• Tippah News: Mississippi AG decision in Senatobia shooting