Mississippi AG: No Charges Against Officers in Fatal Shooting of Toddler

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that no charges will be filed against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of a one-year-old boy in a Walmart parking lot. The decision comes after a review that concluded the use of force was justified. The incident occurred on June 14 in Senatobia, Mississippi, where police were responding to a shoplifting call.

Bodycam footage released from the event shows officers pursuing Vellesiya Wiley and another woman, who were allegedly shoplifting from the Walmart. The footage depicts officers surrounding Wiley's vehicle as she attempted to flee. According to officials, Wiley's sister, who was driving, accelerated toward the officers, at which point gunshots were fired.

One-year-old Kohen Wiley was struck by a bullet and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. His mother, Vellesiya Wiley, claimed that she had held her baby up to show officers he was in the car. Wiley's attorney, Ben Crump, stated that both women deny the shoplifting allegations and have not been charged in connection with the incident.

An investigation conducted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was presented to the attorney general's office. Fitch's office released a statement confirming the review and the decision not to file charges, citing the justification of the officers' use of force without providing further details. Crump had previously alleged that the officer who fired the shots, Senatobia Police Sergeant Hunter Foster, had faced a complaint for an alleged racially offensive remark two days prior to the shooting.

The footage showed the mother running from the Walmart shortly before officers pursued her. A bullet hole was visible on the passenger side of the vehicle. Wiley stated that she and her sister went to Senatobia Hospital, where Kohen was pronounced deceased. The infant was reportedly shot in the ribcage.