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

Mississippi Officer and Interim Police Chief Resign

Healfromzero.com – A Mississippi officer and interim police chief have resigned following the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley during a June police encounter in Senatobia. Officer Hunter Foster left the Senatobia Police Department after state officials determined his use of deadly force was justified. Interim Chief Angelica Maze resigned as chief but will remain with the department in another role.

The shooting occurred June 14 outside a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi, after officers and Tate County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shoplifting call. Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and another woman left the store, entered a vehicle with the child and became involved in a rapidly escalating confrontation with law enforcement.

Video captures confrontation in Walmart parking lot

Body-camera video released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shows officers and deputies approaching the vehicle after being told that “two girls are running.” A sheriff’s deputy attempted to open the driver’s door while officers ordered the vehicle to stop.

The driver backed out of a parking space and struck a parked vehicle behind her, according to authorities. State officials said the vehicle then moved toward officers and nearly hit one of them. Foster, who was standing near the front passenger side of the vehicle, fired into the car as it appeared to move toward at least one officer.

“Stop the car!”

Foster later told another law enforcement official that he did not know a baby was inside the vehicle, according to the footage. Kohen was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other woman in the vehicle suffered critical injuries.

The vehicle left the parking lot after the shooting, the Tate County Sheriff’s Office said. Wiley has disputed the account that the driver was moving toward officers.

State review ends without criminal charges

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation examined the shooting, followed by a review by the state attorney general’s office. Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that prosecutors would not present the case to a grand jury, finding insufficient evidence of criminal conduct.

“After a thorough investigation, into this matter there is insufficient evidence of any criminal conduct to present this case to a grand jury. We are declining prosecution of this matter and will close this case accordingly,” Fitch said.

The Mississippi officer and interim police leadership changes came after that decision, but the state’s conclusion did not settle the public dispute surrounding Kohen’s death. His family and civil rights advocates have continued to question whether the response to an alleged shoplifting incident was necessary or proportionate.

Ben Crump, an attorney representing Kohen’s family, criticized the decision at a news conference and argued that officers escalated the encounter before the vehicle moved.

“This was excessive from the very start,” Crump said. “They came out with guns drawn for a shoplifting misdemeanor.”

“The bullet that killed 1-year-old baby Kohen Wiley was not justified,” he added.

Conflicting accounts remain central to the case

Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, said the driver posed an immediate danger to the officers near the vehicle. He maintained that Foster had no choice but to fire because the driver was attempting to hit five officers.

The case remains contentious because the video records only a brief, chaotic sequence and the parties sharply disagree about the level of threat officers faced. For Kohen’s relatives, the death of a child during a response to an alleged property offense remains the central issue.

Senatobia Shooting FAQ

Why did the Mississippi officer resign?

City officials said Hunter Foster submitted a resignation letter after the state review concluded that his use of deadly force was justified. The available information does not state a separate reason for his resignation.

What happened to the interim police chief?

Angelica Maze resigned as Senatobia’s interim police chief. According to city clerk Katie Harbin, she will continue working for the police department in another capacity.

Will the shooting be prosecuted?

No criminal case is expected from the state review. Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the matter would not be presented to a grand jury because investigators found insufficient evidence of criminal conduct.