Mississippi to Release Video of Fatal Walmart Police Shooting

Mississippi authorities plan to release video of the fatal police shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley at a Walmart in Senatobia after his family has had an opportunity to view the footage. The decision follows a ruling by Attorney General Lynn Fitch that the officer's use of force was justified, drawing demands for transparency from the family's attorneys and community leaders.

The agency said it would fulfill public records requests for the video once the family has seen it. Attorneys representing the Wiley family told WREG that they planned to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon, where Kohen's mother could address the case.

The video release announcement came one day after Fitch determined that the officer's actions were justified. Attorney Ben Crump and local community leaders subsequently called for the footage to be made public.

Crump called for the evidence to be released regardless of whether it supported the state's conclusion.

"If the footage supports the state's decision, release it. We will not stop fighting until this family gets the truth," Crump said in a statement Monday.

The shooting occurred June 14, when Senatobia Police officers responded to a shoplifting call at Walmart. Authorities said officers attempted to stop a vehicle carrying Kohen and his mother, but the driver moved toward officers and nearly struck one of them.

Officers opened fire, killing Kohen as he sat in his mother's lap and injuring a woman who was driving the vehicle. Authorities identified Hunter Foster as the officer who fired the shots.

The Mississippi Attorney General's Office said Monday that it would not pursue prosecution because of insufficient evidence.

Some Senatobia residents expressed disappointment with the decision, while others said they had anticipated the outcome.

One Senatobia resident disputed the determination that the officer's use of force was justified.

"It's not justifiable. They need to go back to school and learn what it all really means," the resident said.

Nikki Chisom, another Senatobia resident, said she considered the shooting unacceptable and believed the legal system's structure made the decision predictable.

"I feel like that was unacceptable and kind of extravagant. Legally, since I do criminal justice or whatever, I knew that was going to happen because they set up the system for that type of stuff," Chisom said.

Chisom also argued that the shoplifting allegation involving Kohen's mother should not be used to justify the shooting. She said the allegation did not explain the use of deadly force.

"That's just something people use as an image to justify something," Chisom said.

Another Senatobia resident questioned the circumstances surrounding the shooting and whether the officer's response was appropriate.

"And the fact that that was a defenseless baby didn't have anything really to do with the situation. And if that girl was trying to hit that man. He would have shot on that driver's side, stood on that passenger window," the resident said.

At a Tuesday night meeting, Senatobia's Board of Mayor and Aldermen said members would discuss Foster's employment status at their next meeting, scheduled for November 3.