A Tragic Incident in Mississippi: The Case of Kohen Wiley
In a recent development, the Mississippi Attorney General’s office has ruled the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley by a Senatobia police officer as justified. The incident, which has sparked widespread debate, involved the officer alleging that the driver of the vehicle used it as a weapon against him. This justification is often cited by law enforcement after such tragic events, raising questions about its frequent use.
According to the Mississippi Free Press, the decision means officer Hunter Foster will not face charges related to the June incident. This conclusion follows the officer’s response to an alleged theft from a Walmart involving Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and another woman, Latoya Ferrell, who reportedly took diapers from the store.
On June 14, the situation escalated quickly when the women attempted to leave the Walmart parking lot with Kohen. Despite Vellesiya Wiley lifting her son to show he was in the car, Foster fired into the vehicle, resulting in Kohen’s death. Both women have denied any wrongdoing, claiming no theft occurred and that the car was not driven toward the officer. To date, neither has been charged with any crime.
The Attorney General’s statement clarified, “Today, the Office of the Attorney General announced it has completed the review of a June 14, 2026 incident in Senatobia involving one officer with the Senatobia Police Department. In this incident, the Attorney General’s Office found the use of force was justified. Pursuant to Section 45-1-6 of the Mississippi Code, the review followed an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.”
Despite this conclusion, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety has not released any surveillance or body-cam footage from the incident, leaving many unanswered questions. The lack of transparency has led to skepticism, especially considering past controversies involving the department and its officers.
In response to the ruling, civil rights attorney Ben Crump stated, “A 1-year-old baby was shot and killed by a police officer, and now the state of Mississippi says that use of force was justified. How can anyone accept that conclusion when Kohen’s family and the public still have not been allowed to see the body-camera footage? This is a department whose chief was fired after reports of racial slurs in his text messages, and whose officer faced a complaint alleging a racially offensive remark two days before he shot Kohen. If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth.”
For more details on the lack of information in the police report, see Kohen Wiley: Senatobia Police Report On Shooting Has No Information.
Related questions about systemic issues can be explored further in the article Why Do Black Children Keep Getting Killed Over Cheap Products?
