Mississippi authorities have released body-camera and surveillance footage showing the fatal police shooting of one-year-old Kohen Wiley. The video provides the first detailed public view of the June 14 incident in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, where Senatobia Police Sgt. Hunter Foster opened fire at a moving vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call.
The release follows a determination by the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office that the officer’s use of force was justified. Kohen’s family and their attorneys dispute that conclusion and continue to call for further scrutiny.
What Happened on June 14
According to authorities, officers responded to a report that nappies and baby clothes had been taken from the Walmart store in Senatobia. When police arrived, they encountered two women and the child walking toward a vehicle in the parking lot.
Body-camera and surveillance footage shows officers rushing outside after a store employee reported that two women were running. The women entered a gray sedan with the toddler. Officers approached with guns drawn and ordered the driver to stop.
The vehicle reversed and struck a parked car. Investigators state that the driver then drove toward the officers, nearly striking one of them. Sgt. Hunter Foster fired multiple shots into the vehicle. One-year-old Kohen Wiley was struck and killed. An adult in the car was critically injured.
In the released footage, Foster can be heard saying after the incident that he did not see a baby in the vehicle. The child was not secured in a car seat at the time.
Details from the Released Video
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety released footage from multiple officers’ body-worn cameras, including the perspective of the officer who fired. The compilation shows the chaotic sequence in the parking lot as officers attempted to stop the vehicle.
Officers are heard issuing commands for the driver to stop. The car moves forward and reverse, makes contact with at least one officer according to some accounts, and then leaves the area. The women later drove to a local medical facility, where Kohen was pronounced dead.
The video does not capture every angle of the encounter, and some earlier leaked clips from other sources provided additional context from different body cameras and store surveillance.
Official Findings and Family Response
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, after a review following an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, announced that the use of force was justified. The finding means no criminal charges will be brought against the officer in connection with the shooting.
Sgt. Foster’s attorney has stated that the officer had no choice but to fire because the vehicle was going to hit him. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Kohen’s family, has argued that the footage shows the officer was not in immediate danger when he fired and that the shot came from the passenger side of the car. The family maintains that the shooting was not justified and has called for a federal investigation.
Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has said she attempted to show officers that a child was present by lifting her son. She has described holding the toddler on her lap in the front passenger seat when the shots were fired.
Community Reaction and Ongoing Questions
The death of the one-year-old sparked protests in Senatobia and drew national attention. Community members held vigils and marches calling for accountability and transparency. A makeshift memorial with toys, banners, and messages appeared near the Walmart in the weeks after the incident.
Questions have centered on the decision to fire into a vehicle containing a child, the circumstances of the alleged shoplifting call, and the broader context of the police response. Neither of the adults in the vehicle has been charged in connection with the reported theft.
The release of the body-camera footage allows the public to examine the sequence of events for themselves. It shows a rapidly unfolding confrontation that began with a report of stolen baby items and ended with the death of a toddler.
Looking Ahead
The Mississippi Attorney General’s determination closes the state criminal investigation into the officer’s actions. The family continues to seek additional review and has expressed dissatisfaction with the official findings. Calls for the Department of Justice to examine the case remain part of the ongoing public discussion.
The video release marks a significant step in public transparency after months of limited information. It documents the moments leading up to and including the shots that killed Kohen Wiley, providing a visual record of an incident that has left a family grieving and a community searching for answers. The images of officers surrounding a moving car in a parking lot, the commands to stop, and the subsequent gunfire now form part of the permanent public record of what occurred on June 14 in Senatobia.
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