Parents of 1-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot by Mississippi Officer Protest Attorney General's Office

Parents Demand Answers at Mississippi Attorney General’s Office

The parents of a 1-year-old boy shot and killed by a police officer in Mississippi led a protest Monday at the office of the state’s attorney general, mississippitoday.org reported. The demonstration followed a ruling last month by Attorney General Lynn Fitch that the shooting was justified.

Cries of “our baby’s life mattered” echoed through the lobby as Kohen Wiley’s parents and a small group of activists demanded to speak with Fitch. Marquell Bridges, an activist working with the family, stated that they wanted the attorney general to look Kohen’s parents in the eyes and explain why law enforcement’s use of force was deemed appropriate.

“These people work for us. We pay their salaries. We vote. We put them in office, and our people have to understand that we have the power,” Bridges said in the lobby.

Protesters were met by Fitch’s chief of staff, who informed them that the attorney general was not in the office. An email seeking comment was sent to the attorney general’s office on Monday.

The June Incident in Senatobia

Kohen Wiley was killed in June when a police officer in the small town of Senatobia—situated about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee—fired his weapon into a moving vehicle while responding to a shoplifting call. Body-worn camera footage shows Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, holding the child as she and another woman run across a Walmart parking room and enter their vehicle.

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Five officers approached the parked car with their guns drawn. The vehicle then reversed away and crashed into a nearby parked vehicle as officers yelled for it to stop. As the vehicle accelerated forward, Senatobia Sgt. Hunter Foster stepped directly in front of it with his gun drawn. Body-worn camera video shows the wheels turning away from him as he appeared to place his hands on the hood and jump out of the way. He fired his weapon, shattering the front passenger-side window where Kohen sat on his mother’s lap.

The fatal shooting generated months of mourning and persistent calls for justice both locally in Senatobia and nationwide. Kohen would have turned 2 years old on Sunday.

Family Grief and Legal Stances

Sitting outside the attorney general’s office, Kohen’s father, Davion Williams, described the passing of his son’s birthday as “the worst feeling ever.”

“It’s hard. It’s just hard to even express and talk about,” Williams said. “Now we have to keep his name alive.”

Williams wore a T-shirt featuring Kohen’s face that read, “Kohen should be 2. Vote in his honor.” He stated that he wants Foster prosecuted and Fitch removed from office. Fitch, a Republican, is running for governor in 2027.

Meanwhile, Martin Zummach, an attorney representing Sgt. Foster, asserted that his client had “no choice” but to fire at the vehicle because it was going to strike him. The Mississippi Attorney General’s office concluded a months-long probe by determining that Foster’s use of force was appropriate.

Ongoing Investigations and Building Fire

Beyond the legal fallout of the shooting, federal and state authorities are investigating a separate incident involving local law enforcement infrastructure. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives opened an investigation into an arson fire on Saturday that caused damage to the Senatobia police building. Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire, and inquiries sent to the ATF and the state fire marshal’s office on Monday were not immediately returned.