Full Breakdown
Mississippi Officer’s Shooting of Toddler Sparks Legal and Community Fallout
By Drooid · · How we work
The Fatal Shooting – Core Event
On June 14, 2026, Senatobia Police Sgt. Hunter Foster opened fire on a gray Ford Fusion in the Walmart parking lot of Senatobia, Mississippi. The vehicle contained 1-year-old Kohen Wiley on his mother’s lap, his mother Vellesiya Wiley, and a family friend driving. Officers shouted “Stop the car” as the sedan accelerated toward them. Foster fired multiple rounds, striking the driver and killing Wiley. The driver sustained critical injuries and was later released from the hospital.
Background & Context
Police were dispatched after a store employee reported two women attempting to leave with allegedly stolen diapers. Officers entered the parking lot, pursued the women, and attempted to stop the car. No charges were ever filed against the women for shoplifting. The incident occurred in a town of about 8,000 residents roughly 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
Official Statements & Responses
Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the use of force was “justified” and that Foster would face no criminal charges. Former officer Francis Springer described the shooting as “excusable homicide” under Mississippi law, arguing that a vehicle moving toward an officer can be considered deadly force.
Martin Zummach, representing Foster, said the officer had “no choice but to fire” because the car was headed toward him and described the reaction as “muscle memory.”
Criticism & Opposition
Family members and civil-rights advocates rejected the justification. Veronica Roberson called the incident “disgusting” and said there was “no justification” for five armed officers confronting a car with a baby. Grandmother Lasandra Williams expressed confusion over the term “justified.”
Attorney Ben Crumm argued the side-window shot was not justified and said the decision sends a message that a Black baby’s life is undervalued.
Marquell Bridges, founder of the Building Bridges Coalition, said the shooting was unnecessary and that officers could have identified the occupants without lethal force. Van Turner pledged to petition the Department of Justice for a federal investigation.
On-the-Ground Reports
Body-camera footage released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shows five officers exiting the store, shouting “Stop the car,” and pursuing the sedan. The car reverses, collides with another vehicle, then accelerates forward. Foster steps toward the hood, places a hand on it, and fires three to four shots, shattering the passenger-side window. The video captures the driver’s injuries and the infant’s fatal wound.
Data & Statistics
- Date of incident: June 14, 2026
- Officers present: five (including Foster)
- Shots fired by Foster: three to four
- Fatalities: one (Kohen Wiley, age 1)
- Injured occupants: two (driver and passenger)
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Use-of-force experts disagree on the reasonableness of the shooting. Former Baltimore police lieutenant Charles “Joe” Key deemed the decision “objectively reasonable,” citing the vehicle as a deadly weapon. Expert John P. Gross criticized Foster’s positioning, saying the officer should not have placed himself where he could be struck.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family concluded the fatal bullet entered from the side of the vehicle, contradicting the state’s claim that the car was moving toward the officer. The state investigation relied on an incident report describing the vehicle “sped toward the officers,” but the full body-camera footage was not publicly released until after the attorney-general’s ruling.
What’s Next
Following public outcry, Officer Foster resigned from the Senatobia Police Department. The family’s legal team plans to seek a Department of Justice investigation. State officials have indicated no further criminal action will be taken, but the dispute over the video’s interpretation and the officer’s conduct remains unresolved.