Full Breakdown
Fatal Shooting of Toddler Kohen Wiley in Senatobia, Mississippi
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
On June 14, 2026, Senatobia Police Department officers and Tate County deputies pursued two women leaving a Walmart with stolen diapers and baby clothing. The women entered a vehicle with infant Kohen Wiley, age 1, in the passenger seat. Body-camera footage released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shows officers shouting “Stop the car!” as the vehicle backed out, struck a parked car and accelerated toward the officers. While an officer stood in front of the car, a gun was discharged, shattering the front-passenger window and striking the child, who later died at a local hospital. The driver was critically injured. The officer, Sgt. Hunter Foster, was placed on administrative leave pending investigation.
Background & Context
The shooting followed a shop-lifting call at the Walmart in Senatobia, a city about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. Earlier in 2026, former Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford was dismissed after reports of racist slurs in private texts, intensifying community protests and scrutiny of department practices.
Data & Statistics
- Date of shooting: June 14, 2026
- Victim: Kohen Wiley, 1 year old, died at a local hospital
- Injured adult: driver Latoya Ferrell (critical condition)
- Officer involved: Sgt. Hunter Foster, on administrative leave
- Public memorial: erected on June 26, 2026
Criticism & Opposition
- Ben Crump, civil-rights attorney for the Wiley family, called the shooting “excessive from the very start.”
- Former Baltimore police lieutenant Charles “Joe” Key deemed the shooting “objectively reasonable,” while use-of-force expert John P. Gross called it unjustified.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Driver intent: Police reports claim the driver “sped toward the officers,” while the mother, Vellesiya Wiley, says she and her friend did not attempt to hit officers.
- Video access: The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation released blurred body-camera footage; the family and public have not seen the full, unredacted video.
- Charges: The attorney general’s office declined prosecution, but the family is pursuing federal and civil avenues.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Diapers are something a mother needs for a child. Diapers should never cost a baby their life,” — Ben Crump
- “After a thorough investigation, into this matter there is insufficient evidence of any criminal conduct to present this case to a grand jury. We are declining prosecution of this matter and will close this case accordingly,” — Attorney General Lynn Fitch
- “He should never have placed himself in a position where he could have been struck,” — John P. Gross
What’s Next
The Wiley family’s legal team has requested a federal investigation and continues to demand the release of the full body-camera footage. The attorney general’s office indicated no further criminal action will be taken, but civil litigation is expected. State officials have not announced a timeline for releasing the unredacted video, leaving the community awaiting additional transparency.