Mississippi Police Officer Resigns After Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old Boy Outside Walmart

A Mississippi police officer has resigned after fatally shooting a 1-year-old boy during an encounter outside a Walmart, a case that has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for accountability.

The child, Kohen Wiley, was killed on June 14, 2026, in the parking lot of a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi. His mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and another woman were in the vehicle with him when officers attempted to stop them following a report of suspected shoplifting involving diapers and baby clothes.

Authorities said officers tried to prevent the car from leaving the parking lot. Newly released body-camera and surveillance footage shows the vehicle reversing into a parked SUV before moving forward as officers surrounded it. One officer, Hunter Foster, then fired into the car, striking Kohen and an adult passenger.

Kohen was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The injured woman was also hospitalized. Kohen’s mother has denied that she and her friend stole anything, and neither woman had been charged with shoplifting in reports published about the case.

The shooting prompted months of questions about whether the officer’s use of force was necessary. The family’s attorney, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, challenged the official account, arguing that the officer could have moved out of the vehicle’s path rather than opening fire. Kohen’s relatives have called for accountability and greater transparency.

On October 19, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that the state’s investigation found insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to bring the case before a grand jury. The attorney general concluded that the officer’s use of force was justified, citing investigators’ account that the vehicle moved toward officers.

The following days brought further developments. Body-camera footage was released publicly, allowing viewers to see more of the chaotic encounter. Foster subsequently resigned from the Senatobia Police Department, according to the city’s mayor.

Foster’s attorney defended the shooting, saying the officer believed the driver was attempting to strike officers. Crump and Kohen’s family disputed the state’s conclusion and continued to call for further scrutiny.

The case has become a deeply painful issue for the family and the Senatobia community. Kohen’s death, which began with a reported shoplifting incident, has raised difficult questions about police use of deadly force when a child is inside a vehicle.

Source: DAILYMAIL