Mississippi officer resigns after bodycam footage reveals fatal shooting of toddler in Walmart lot

Key points

• Foster resigned from the Senatobia Police Department on October 21, 2026, after the Mississippi Department of Public Safety released body-camera footage of the June 14 shooting.
• The footage shows five officers approaching a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot with guns drawn after an employee reported shoplifting; Foster fired into the car, killing Kohen Wiley, who was in the front passenger seat with his mother.
• Mississippi’s attorney general concluded the use of force was justified, finding insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to refer the case to a grand jury.
• The child’s family and attorney Ben Crump dispute the state’s findings, arguing the fatal shot came from the side of the car and that the response to a shoplifting allegation was disproportionate.
• Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, maintains the driver was attempting to kill the officers, while the child’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, denies stealing diapers and disputes the claim that the vehicle was moving toward officers.

Background

This incident follows a months-long investigation into the death of Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old boy killed by police in Senatobia, Mississippi, in June 2026. Earlier coverage highlighted the tension between the state’s clearance of the officer and the family’s demands for accountability, including calls for federal intervention and decertification. The release of body-camera footage in late October intensified public debate over the justification of deadly force in response to a minor theft allegation.

How outlets are covering it

The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Senatobia Police Department maintain that the use of force was justified, citing the driver’s alleged attempt to run over officers. Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, echoed this view, stating the officer had no choice but to fire. In contrast, the child’s family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump argue the shooting was excessive, noting that the fatal bullet entered from the side and that the initial call involved only shoplifting. Independent use-of-force experts also diverged: one deemed the shooting objectively reasonable given the perceived threat, while another criticized the officer’s tactics as dangerous and disproportionate. The family has called for a federal investigation and decertification of Foster, which has not yet occurred.

Why it matters

The case underscores ongoing national debates over police use of force, racial disparities in law enforcement, and the adequacy of state-level investigations in fatal shootings. The resignation of the officer without criminal charges or decertification has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue it sets a precedent for accountability gaps in police misconduct cases.

What to watch

The family’s legal team is pursuing a federal investigation into the shooting and seeking Foster’s decertification. No criminal charges have been filed against Foster or the women involved in the shoplifting allegation. Public protests and vigils in Mississippi may continue as the case remains a focal point for discussions on police accountability and racial justice.