Mississippi Officer Resigns After Fatal Shooting of Toddler
Sgt. Hunter Foster resigns after investigation concludes his use of force was justified, but family disputes findings.
The police officer who fatally shot a 1-year-old boy in Mississippi has resigned. Sgt. Hunter Foster resigned Friday, according to Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves. Foster had been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Mississippi Attorney General’s office earlier this week. The office’s investigation concluded his use of force was justified.
State officials released videos on Thursday of the June 14 incident, including Foster’s body-worn camera footage. The shooting occurred in a Walmart parking lot in Senatobia, approximately 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, during a response to a shoplifting call. The child who died was identified as Kohen Wiley.
Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, has stated that Foster had "no choice" but to fire his weapon because the vehicle was moving toward him. However, Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, has contested this, asserting that the vehicle was not driven toward the officers. The family has not been charged with shoplifting, and Wiley has denied the allegation.
Attorneys for Kohen’s family, including Ben Crump, have stated that the released footage shows the fatal shot came from the side of the car. They dispute that Foster was in imminent danger. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family reached the same conclusion.
The released videos show Vellesiya Wiley holding Kohen as she and a companion ran from the store and entered their vehicle. Five officers, including Foster, approached the car with drawn weapons. The vehicle reversed and collided with a parked car as officers shouted for it to stop. The vehicle then accelerated forward as Foster approached it. The footage shows Foster appearing to jump out of the way as the car’s wheels turned away from him. He then fired his weapon, shattering the front passenger-side window, where Kohen was seated on his mother’s lap. The car continued to drive away.
The family’s legal team has called for a federal investigation into the shooting. Kohen Wiley would have celebrated his second birthday in early November.
