Mississippi officer and interim police chief resign after officer’s fatal shooting of 1-year-old in car during pursuit

Mississippi Officer, Interim Police Chief Resign

Earthguardiansonline.com – A Mississippi officer and interim police chief have resigned after the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley during a June encounter outside a Senatobia Walmart. The resignations followed the state attorney general’s decision not to pursue criminal charges against Officer Hunter Foster.

Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves said Friday that Foster resigned from the police department. City Clerk Katie Harbin confirmed that he submitted a resignation letter. Interim Police Chief Angelica Maze also stepped down from her leadership role but will remain employed by the department in another position.

Shooting occurred during response to shoplifting call

Senatobia officers and Tate County sheriff’s deputies were at the Walmart on June 14 responding to a shoplifting report when they were told that two women were running toward a vehicle in the parking lot. Video showed Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, carrying the child as she and a friend approached the car.

A deputy tried to open the driver’s door after the women got inside. Officers ordered the driver to stop as the vehicle backed out and struck another vehicle. State officials said the driver then moved toward officers and nearly hit one of them.

Foster was positioned near the front passenger side of the vehicle when he fired into it. Body-camera video later showed him saying he had not seen a baby inside before firing. Kohen was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, while one of the women in the vehicle was critically injured.

State review finds no basis for prosecution

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reviewed the shooting before Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office completed its own assessment. Fitch said the evidence was insufficient to present a criminal case against Foster to a grand jury, and the state closed the matter.

“After a thorough investigation, into this matter there is insufficient evidence of any criminal conduct to present this case to a grand jury,” Fitch said in a statement.

Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, said the officer believed the vehicle posed an immediate danger to the five officers at the scene. Wiley has disputed the state’s account that the driver intentionally moved toward police.

The Mississippi officer and interim police leadership changes have added to ongoing public anger and grief in Senatobia. The case has also intensified questions among Black residents about police accountability, use-of-force decisions and whether the shooting could have been avoided.

Department faces continuing scrutiny

The resignations come during a period of instability for the Senatobia Police Department. Former Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired last month after allegations that he used racist slurs in private text messages.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Kohen’s family, criticized officers for responding to an alleged misdemeanor shoplifting incident with weapons drawn. He said the shooting of the toddler was unjustified.

Although the Mississippi officer and interim police chief have both resigned from their roles, Foster’s departure does not change the attorney general’s decision. The criminal review is closed, while public debate over the encounter and the department’s conduct continues.

FAQ

Why did the officer resign? Hunter Foster resigned after the attorney general declined to bring criminal charges over the shooting. City officials confirmed he submitted a resignation letter.

Will the interim police chief leave the department? Angelica Maze resigned as interim police chief but remains employed by the Senatobia Police Department in another role.

Was anyone charged over Kohen Wiley’s death? No. Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the available evidence did not support presenting a criminal case to a grand jury.