Sgt. Hunter Foster, the Mississippi police officer who shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in June, has resigned from the Senatobia Police Department. Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves confirmed the resignation on Friday, just days after the Mississippi Attorney General's office cleared Foster of criminal wrongdoing. The state's investigation concluded that Foster's use of force was justified during the incident, which occurred in a Walmart parking lot while officers were responding to a shoplifting call.
The resignation follows the release of body-worn camera footage and other videos by the state on Thursday. The footage shows officers approaching a vehicle occupied by Kohen's mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and her friend. Foster fired his weapon into the vehicle, striking Kohen, who was seated on his mother's lap. Foster's attorney, Martin Zummach, has previously stated that the officer had "no choice" but to fire because the vehicle was moving toward him. However, the family's legal team and an independent autopsy have disputed this account.
What the Right Is Saying
The Mississippi Attorney General's office determined that Officer Foster's actions were legally justified under state law, citing the movement of the vehicle as a threat to the officer's safety. Foster's attorney, Martin Zummach, maintained that his client faced an immediate threat when the car accelerated forward, leading Foster to step toward it and fire. Zummach stated that Foster had "no choice" in the moment. The resignation is viewed by some supporters as a necessary step for Foster to move on from a high-profile incident where he was cleared of criminal liability.
Officials in Senatobia have indicated that the department is moving forward with leadership changes. In addition to Foster's resignation, Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired last month by the city's board of aldermen following reports of racist slurs in private text messages. The local administration has focused on resolving the administrative aspects of the case, with the Mayor confirming the resignation without further comment on the underlying merits of the shooting. The state's decision to clear Foster has been framed as an adherence to the legal standards for use of force in active situations.
What the Left Is Saying
Attorneys representing the Wiley family argue that the video evidence does not support the claim that Officer Foster was in imminent danger. Ben Crump, an attorney for the family, stated that the footage shows the fatal shot came from the side of the car, contradicting the narrative that the vehicle was charging directly at the officer. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family reached similar conclusions regarding the trajectory of the bullet. The family's legal team has called for a federal investigation into the shooting to ensure accountability.
Van Turner, another attorney for the family, emphasized the need for professional consequences beyond criminal charges. "What we need is for him to be de-certified so that he's not able to go to another police department and do the same thing," Turner said during a news conference. The family and their representatives have pointed to Foster's prior employment history, including a 2021 lawsuit alleging civil rights violations during an arrest in Southaven, as part of a pattern of conduct that requires scrutiny. Vellesiya Wiley has consistently denied that she or her friend stole diapers from the store, a claim that sparked the initial police response.
What the Numbers Show
The incident occurred on June 14 in Senatobia, a city of approximately 8,000 people located about 40 miles south of Memphis. Officer Foster, 33, had been certified as a law enforcement officer in Mississippi since 2019. His employment history includes two years with the Southaven Police Department and employment with the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office until October 2024. He joined the Senatobia Police Department about five months prior to the shooting. A federal lawsuit filed in 2021 against Foster and 12 other officers regarding a 2019 arrest was settled by the Southaven police department in 2022 for an undisclosed amount. No criminal charges were filed against Foster by the state, and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety confirmed that Foster remained certified as a police officer at the time of his resignation.
The Bottom Line
The resignation of Officer Foster concludes his tenure with the Senatobia Police Department but leaves open questions about his future in law enforcement, as he remains certified in Mississippi. The Wiley family's legal team continues to advocate for federal intervention and potential de-certification, arguing that the state's clearance does not fully address the circumstances of the shooting. The release of the body-camera footage has intensified the debate over the use of force in this specific incident, with the family's attorneys pointing to the bullet's entry point and the vehicle's movement as evidence against the officer's account. Kohen Wiley would have turned two in early November, and the case remains a significant point of contention regarding police accountability in the region.