Mississippi attorney general says cop’s killing of 1-year-old was ‘justified’ after mother was accused of stealing diapers
Yet, no body camera footage has been released.
Public outrage erupted following the death of a one-year-old after officers opened fire at a car while responding to a report that accused the baby’s mother of stealing diapers at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi. Months after the tragedy, the state’s attorney general has doubled down, stating that the officer’s shooting was justified.
In June, Senatobia Police Department and Tate County Sheriff’s Office officers arrived to find Latoya Ferrell and Vellesiya Wiley, along with Wiley’s one-year-old child, Kohen, leaving Walmart in a car. Authorities alleged that the driver drove in the officers’ direction, nearly hitting one of them, prompting officers to fire.
Kohen was fatally shot, while Ferrell, who was driving, was critically injured. Only Senatobia officer Hunter Foster faced the fallout of the incident and was placed on leave. However, he wasn’t directly named as the officer responsible for Kohen’s death, per Mississippi Today.
Mississippi attorney general clears officer of wrongdoing
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced on Monday in a short statement that they “found the use of force was justified.” Fitch didn’t share any more details about the incident, but she maintained that “one officer” was involved in the shooting.
Martin Zummach, who represents Foster, described the attorney general’s findings clearing his client of any criminal wrongdoing as “expected” and “overdue.” He claimed Foster was worried for his safety after Ferrell “tried to kill” him and the other officers, leaving Foster with “no choice but to fire his weapon,” Zummach told The Associated Press.
Fitch’s statement, however, only heightened the need for transparency surrounding the incident, as many details and questions were left unanswered. It remains unclear what evidence was used during the investigation, as Wiley and witnesses claimed they weren’t contacted by investigators or officials.
Wiley’s side demands body camera footage
The Wiley family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, slammed the attorney general’s decision to clear the officer of any wrongdoing and called for the release of body camera footage of the incident on Monday. Crump added that preliminary independent autopsy results indicated that Kohen was shot from the side of the car, contradicting the officers’ claims that the car was driving towards them.
“How can anyone accept that conclusion when Kohen’s family and the public still have not been allowed to see the body camera footage?” Crump said. “If the footage supports the state’s decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth.”
Meanwhile, Foster was promoted to sergeant just six months after joining the Senatobia Police in March 2025. However, his tenure at the department has been marred by issues.
Over the past year, Foster was reportedly accused twice of using racially offensive language toward co-workers, including calling a Black officer a “Black motherf*****,” the Mississippi Today reported.
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