The police shooting that claimed the life of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley has been ruled "justified" by the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
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Attorney General's Office Rules Shooting That Killed Infant Justified
In a statement released on Monday (October 19), Fitch's office said the use of force was justified following an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
"Today, 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," the Republican attorney general's office said (via the Mississippi Free Press). "In this incident, the Attorney General's Office found the use of force was justified. Pursuant to Section 45-1-6 of the Mississippi Code, the review followed an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation."
Mississippi police were responding to a reported shoplifting incident. Authorities alleged that Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and the vehicle's driver, Latoya Ferrell, had stolen a pack of diapers from a local Walmart. After leaving the store, Wiley got into the front passenger seat with Kohen in her lap. As Ferrell began driving away, officers approached the car with their guns drawn. Wiley said she lifted her son to show them that there was a child in the car. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said the driver drove in the direction of officers and nearly struck one, an account Wiley has disputed. An officer then fired into the car, killing Kohen and also hitting Ferrell.
Marquell Bridges, President of the Building Bridges Coalition, told the Free Press on Monday that the decision made by the Attorney General's office amounted to a cover-up.
"There is blood on your hands. Not just Hunter Foster, but everyone involved who is complicit in the cover-up. Including Attorney General Lynn Fitch, and everything that happens as a result," he said in a statement to the outlet.
At the time of writing, police have not released any bodycam footage or Walmart surveillance video of the incident.
