Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch‘s office has ruled that the use of force in the officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley was justified.
Wiley was killed in the parking lot of the Walmart in Senatobia on June 14. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reported that officers responded to a shoplifting call at the retailer. Upon arrival, responding Senatobia police officers said they encountered two women and a child quickly leaving the store and hopping into a vehicle.
Police said they attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer, identified by records as Sgt. Hunter Foster, then discharged a squad-issued firearm as the vehicle fled the scene. The shot reportedly struck Wiley, who later died at an area hospital. Foster was placed on leave days after the shooting.
Wiley’s family, who disputed the police’s account of the shooting, hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who notably represented the families of Trey Reed and Nolan Wells — two Black Mississippians whose seemingly mysterious deaths sparked outrage and accusations of racially-motivated foul play.
Protests also formed in Senatobia after Wiley’s death, with protesters arguing that the use of force was unnecessary and that race played a role in the officer’s decision to shoot into the vehicle.
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After the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation wrapped up its investigation into the incident and turned its findings over to the attorney general’s office, as is standard practice in officer-involved shootings, Fitch’s team found that the officer operated within the scope of the law. The state will not bring any charges against Foster.
“The Office of the Attorney General announced it has completed the review of a June 14, 2026 incident in Senatobia involving one officer with the Senatobia Police Department,” a statement from Fitch’s office said. “In this incident, the Attorney General’s Office found the use of force was justified.”
Video footage of the incident has not been made available to the public or SuperTalk Mississippi News. At this time, it is unclear whether or not Foster will return to the Senatobia Police Department.