Mississippi Officer, Interim Chief Resign After Toddler’s Death
Sandego.net – A Mississippi officer and interim police chief have resigned after the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley during a police encounter in Senatobia. Officer Hunter Foster resigned after the June 14 shooting, while Angelica Maze stepped down as interim chief but remains with the police department in another role.
The resignations came days after Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch said her office would not pursue criminal charges against Foster. The attorney general concluded there was insufficient evidence to present the case to a grand jury.
Walmart Call Led to Chaotic Parking-Lot Encounter
The shooting began after police responded to a shoplifting call at a Walmart in Senatobia, a city in Tate County. Authorities said officers and Tate County sheriff’s deputies approached Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and another woman as they headed toward a vehicle.
Video released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shows Wiley carrying Kohen as the women leave the store and move toward their car shortly before 2 p.m. Body-camera footage captures officers and deputies entering the parking lot after being told that “two girls are running.”
A sheriff’s deputy attempted to open the driver’s-side door after the women got into the vehicle. The driver then backed out, striking another parked vehicle, according to the footage. Officers shouted for the vehicle to stop as it moved forward.
State authorities said the driver moved toward officers and nearly struck one of them. Foster, positioned near the passenger side of the vehicle, fired into the car. He later said he did not know a baby was inside, according to body-camera footage.
“Stop the car!”
The vehicle left the Walmart parking lot after the shooting. Kohen was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said one of the women was critically injured.
Mississippi Officer and Interim Police Leadership Changes
Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves said Friday that Foster had resigned. City Clerk Katie Harbin confirmed that the officer submitted a resignation letter. Harbin also said Maze resigned as interim police chief, though she will continue working for the department in a different position.
The Mississippi officer and interim police departures followed intense public scrutiny of the shooting and the state’s decision not to prosecute. The incident prompted protests and renewed debate over police use of force in Senatobia.
Wiley has disputed the state’s account that the driver directed the vehicle at officers. Those competing descriptions of the confrontation remain central to the public response to Kohen’s death.
Attorney General Declines Criminal Prosecution
Fitch said her office completed its review after an investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. She said the available evidence did not support bringing the matter before a grand jury.
“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.
Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, defended the officer’s actions, saying Foster believed the vehicle posed an immediate danger to the five officers present.
“The driver of the vehicle was attempting to kill those 5 officers, and Hunter Foster had no choice but to discharge his weapon,” Zummach said. “We are very sad for the loss of life.”
Family’s Attorney Criticizes Shooting Decision
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Kohen’s family, condemned the shooting and the attorney general’s decision. He said officers used excessive force during an encounter that began with an allegation of shoplifting.
“This was excessive from the very start,” Crump said. “They came out with guns drawn for a shoplifting misdemeanor.”
The death of Kohen Wiley has left Senatobia residents confronting difficult questions about police tactics, accountability and the escalation of a property-related call into a fatal encounter involving a child.
Senatobia Shooting FAQ
What happened to Kohen Wiley? Kohen Wiley, 1, was shot when Officer Hunter Foster fired into a vehicle during a June 14 police encounter in a Senatobia Walmart parking lot. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Will the Mississippi officer face criminal charges? The Mississippi attorney general said the evidence was insufficient to present a criminal case to a grand jury and declined prosecution.
Did the interim police chief leave the department? Angelica Maze resigned as interim chief of the Senatobia Police Department but remains employed by the department in another role.
Why is the case disputed? State authorities said the vehicle moved toward officers and nearly struck one of them. Kohen’s mother has challenged that account, and the differing accounts have fueled public concern and debate.
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