New video shows chaos before Mississippi police fatally shoot toddler

Attorney General declines to charge officer; family demands full release of footage

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Updated21 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Newly released body-camera and surveillance footage captures the chaotic moments before a Mississippi police officer shot and killed a one-year-old child in June. The videos, made public after months of pressure, show officers pursuing a car over a shoplifting report and opening fire as the vehicle moved forward. The state attorney general announced no criminal charges would be filed against the officer.

Newly released footage, published by local outlet Darkhorse Press and verified by The New York Times, Mississippi Today and Verite News, shows the seconds before the shooting. Five officers responded to a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia after a report of stolen diapers and baby clothes. Body-camera video from two officers begins as they run toward a gray sedan, which reverses and hits a parked SUV. As the sedan then drives forward, at least one officer opens fire.

The car carried a 1-year-old child, his mother in the passenger seat, and another woman driving. The mother told investigators she was holding her son when the driver tried to back out and drive away. The driver was seriously injured. The child was killed.

The officer who fired has not been officially named, but Hunter Foster of the Senatobia Police Department was the only officer among those present placed on leave.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Monday that her office would not file charges against the officer. Fitch, a Republican candidate for governor, has cleared officers in 82 of 86 police shooting cases reviewed during her tenure. In a 2024 statement, she said: 'The good men and women who wear the uniform to keep us safe and maintain law and order in our communities need to know that their Attorney General will always have their back.'

The shooting prompted weeks of protests in Senatobia, a town of about 8,400 residents, with activists and the child's family demanding release of all footage. The child's grandmother said the family is scheduled to view additional recordings Thursday, including Walmart surveillance and footage from five body-worn cameras.

The family has questioned the justification for the shooting, and the partial release of footage has not quelled calls for a full investigation.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The fatal police shooting of a toddler has intensified scrutiny of use-of-force policies and the transparency of investigations involving law enforcement.
The decision by the attorney general not to charge the officer could influence public trust in police oversight, especially in a state where officer-involved shootings rarely result in prosecution.
The release of body-camera footage, though partial, marks a step toward transparency in a case that had been shrouded in secrecy for months.

Background

The shooting occurred on June 14, 2026, when Senatobia police responded to a shoplifting call at a Walmart. During the response, an officer fired into a vehicle carrying 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother, and another woman. The state attorney general, Lynn Fitch, has a history of declining to prosecute police in similar incidents, a pattern that has drawn criticism from accountability advocates. The case attracted national attention and prompted calls for release of police footage.

Key Perspectives

Family and Activists: They argue the officer used excessive force and that the shooting of a child is inexcusable. They have pushed for release of all video evidence and for charges against the officer. Law Enforcement and AG's Office: Maintain that the officer acted in self-defense when the car moved toward him. Attorney General Fitch has consistently backed officers in such incidents, stating her office supports law enforcement. Legal and Community Observers: The lack of charges and the partial release of footage raise questions about the thoroughness of the investigation and the accountability of police in small communities.

What to Watch

Further release of video footage, including from the officer who fired and Walmart surveillance, which the family is scheduled to view.
Potential civil lawsuit from Kohen's family against the city or officer.
Impact on Attorney General Fitch's gubernatorial campaign and her record on police shootings becoming a campaign issue.
Whether federal authorities open a separate investigation.

Sources

New video shows chaotic moments before Senatobia police shot toddler · Mississippi Today

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedFitch said in a 2024 statement, “The good men and women who wear the uniform to keep us safe and maintain law and order in our communities need to know that their Attorney General will always have their back.”Mississippi Today: “In a 2024 statement, she said, “The good men and women who wear the uniform to keep us safe and maintain law and order in our communities need to know that their Attorney General will always have their back.””
Partly supportedThe footage was verified by The New York Times, Mississippi Today and Verite News.Mississippi Today: “A video analysis by The New York Times, Mississippi Today and Verite News showed the footage matched portions of video of the shooting captured by a bystander.”
Partly supportedThe footage was made public after months of pressure.Mississippi Today: “The shooting death touched off weeks of protests and calls for transparency in Senatobia.”
SupportedThe Mississippi attorney general announced that no criminal charges would be filed against the officer.Mississippi Today: “The Mississippi attorney general’s office, which declined to comment on the video, announced on Monday that it would not bring criminal charges against the officer who fatally shot Kohen.”
Partly supportedThe mother told investigators she was holding her son when the driver tried to back out and drive away.Mississippi Today: “Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said she had been holding her son in her arms in the front passenger seat when the driver, Latoya Ferrell, tried to back out of a space and then drive forward.”
SupportedFitch cleared officers in 82 of 86 police shooting cases reviewed during her tenure.Mississippi Today: “In late September, Fitch said she had cleared police in 82 of 86 officer-involved shootings during her time in office.”
Partly supportedThe family demands the full release of the footage.Mississippi Today: “Activists and Kohen’s family had been calling on the authorities to release police body-camera or dashcam footage.”
SupportedThe released footage shows officers pursuing a car over a report of stolen diapers and baby clothes and at least one officer firing as it moved forward.Mississippi Today: “Newly released videos show a gray sedan, carrying 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and another woman, reversing and slamming into a parked vehicle as police officers run toward the car and order the driver to stop. ... When the sedan moves forward, at least one of the officers opens fire.”
SupportedThe footage shows chaotic moments before a Mississippi police officer fatally shot a toddler.Mississippi Today: “Moments before a Mississippi police officer fired at a car in June, killing a toddler inside, five officers rushed out to a Walmart parking lot”
SupportedThe shooting prompted weeks of protests in Senatobia.Mississippi Today: “The shooting death touched off weeks of protests and calls for transparency in Senatobia, a city of roughly 8,400 located roughly 40 miles south of Memphis.”
Not in the sourcesThe partial release of footage has not quelled calls for a full investigation.

Correction

21 October 2026An earlier version of this story omitted words from Lynn Fitch’s quoted statement supporting law enforcement. The full sentence has been restored. It also described Hunter Foster as the only officer present who had not returned to duty. The source establishes that he was the only officer present placed on leave, not whether the others had returned to duty.