Kohen Wiley’s Family Pushes Back As Experts Fault Police Tactics

Kohen Wiley’s family is not ready to accept the state’s decision to clear the officer who killed their 1-year-old boy, saying the video shows police used force they didn’t need to use.

Mississippi released new video October 22, including footage from Sgt. Hunter Foster’s camera. Foster shot into a moving car during a June 14 shoplifting call at a Senatobia Walmart, killing Kohen.

At a news conference, family lawyer Ben Crump said police went too far before shots were fired. “Police never should have drawn their weapons for a misdemeanor shoplifting investigation,” he said, according to WMC.

Fellow family lawyer Van Turner said the key question was whether the car posed an imminent threat. He said officers had not taken proper care.

Six experts who reviewed video for a Mississippi Today report said an officer put himself at risk when he stepped in front of the car. That went against training that tells police to move aside.

The fight for answers began months ago. In June, community members organized a Walmart boycott and pushed for the release of video. ABC24 Memphis also covered Kohen’s mother’s response then.

But the expert review had limits. Mississippi Today and its partner, The New York Times, sought views on incomplete footage leaked before the state released it. The experts could not tell whether the car hit any officer.

“It’s just a tragedy. It could have been avoided. You don’t stand in front of the car, period. You stand off to the side,” said Chuck Wexler, who heads a group that advises police on use of force.

David Mastagni, a lawyer who defends police and also reviewed the footage, disagreed with the critics. He said replaying video does not show what an officer feels in the moment.

Foster’s lawyer, Martin Zummach, says the car put his client in danger and left him with “no choice” but to shoot, The Associated Press reported. The family is seeking a federal probe.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office found the shooting justified on October 19 and declined to file charges.

For Kohen’s grandmother, Veronica Roberson, that finding brought no peace. “The word ‘justified’ has haunted me,” she said.