Mississippi Attorney General Declares Officer’s Shooting of Toddler Justified

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch issued a statement saying the force used by Sgt. Hunter Foster during a June shooting at a Walmart in Senatobia was justified, effectively clearing the officer of any misconduct. The shooting occurred after two women were accused of stealing diapers, and police said they fired at a vehicle heading toward officers, nearly striking one. The gunfire struck the front passenger seat where 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was being held by his mother, killing the child and wounding the mother and the driver, all of whom are Black.

A lawyer for the family released a photo showing the car’s front window shattered, suggesting the officer was not directly in the vehicle’s path. The family, including mother Vellesiya Wiley and grandmother Veronica Roberson, reported they have not been interviewed by investigators and learned of the decision only via social media. No additional details or video of the incident have been made public, and the case remains under scrutiny.