One-year-old Kohen Wiley was shot and killed by a Senatobia Police Department officer on a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, on June 14, after officers responded to a reported shoplifting attempt involving diapers. State investigators concluded the use of deadly force by Officer Hunter Foster was justified, a finding that prompted outrage and demands for a federal probe from the boy’s family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, vg.no reported.
Body Camera Footage Reveals Moments Before Police Shooting in Mississippi
Police body camera and surveillance footage released to the public show five officers approaching a vehicle with drawn weapons while responding to the reported retail theft. According to the Associated Press, the vehicle backed away and struck a parked car as officers shouted commands to stop.
The car then moved forward while Officer Foster stood directly in front of it with his weapon drawn. Footage indicates the vehicle’s wheels were turned away from the officer, who placed his hands on the hood, jumped out of the way, and fired through the passenger-side window where one-year-old Kohen was seated on his mother’s lap.
Family Condemns Lack of Notification Prior to Official Decision
The toddler’s grandmother, Veronica Roberson, stated that the family learned of the state investigation’s conclusion through media reports rather than direct communication from authorities. The Associated Press reported her reaction to the justification ruling: The word ‘justified’ has haunted me. There is no justification for this.
Roberson described both the absence of advance notice and the online leak of the footage as direct blows to the family. Neither Kohen’s mother nor her companion, who was also in the vehicle, have been charged with shoplifting, according to AP reporting.
Dispute Over Officer Tactics Divides Force-Use Experts
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the grieving family, argued that the police response was disproportionate to the underlying incident. Diapers are something a mother needs for her child,
Crump told the Associated Press. Diapers should never cost a child his life.
The legal team has subsequently requested a federal investigation into the shooting.
🚨Mississippi Attorney General Finds Officer's Use of Force Justified in Fatal Shooting of One Year Old Kohen Wiley; Family and Attorney Demand Transparency📍SENATOBIA, Mississippi Four months after a one year old child was shot and killed by police outside a Senatobia… pic.twitter.com/7AyMQO3Lpf
Conversely, Martin Zummach, attorney for Officer Foster, maintained that the video evidence exonerates his client, asserting that the officer faced imminent danger when the vehicle moved toward him and had no alternative but to discharge his firearm. Independent use-of-force experts reviewing the footage reached divergent opinions; former police lieutenant Charles Joe
Key deemed the shooting objectively reasonable as the officer narrowly avoided being struck, whereas force expert John P. Gross criticized the officer’s tactical positioning, stating Foster placed himself in the path of the vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Senatobia Police Shooting
When did the fatal shooting of Kohen Wiley occur?
The incident took place on June 14 on a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, Mississippi, when officers responded to a call regarding an attempted theft of diapers.
Have any criminal charges been filed against the occupants of the car?
According to Associated Press reports, neither Kohen’s mother nor the other woman present in the vehicle have been charged with shoplifting in connection with the incident.
What was the official conclusion of the state investigation?
A state-level investigation reviewed witness statements, dashboard cameras, store surveillance, and body camera footage, ultimately concluding that Officer Hunter Foster’s use of force was justified.
More on Kohen Wiley
Mississippi’s Attorney General has cleared the police officer involved in the fatal shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley outside a Walmart in Senatobia on June 14, 2026.Police were responding to a reported shoplifting involving diapers and baby clothes when two women fled to a… pic.twitter.com/0G6qPH4z5q
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