Senatobia Police Sergeant Hunter Foster resigned Friday after footage was released showing the June 14 death of Kohen Wiley. The one-year-old was killed during a police response to a suspected shoplifting incident at a local Walmart.
The June 14 Walmart encounter in Senatobia
The incident began when officers responded to reports of shoplifting at a Walmart in Senatobia, Mississippi. According to a Mississippi Bureau of Investigation report , the group of officers was already at the store for an unrelated matter when they were alerted to two women fleeing the premises.
The released body-camera footage shows Vellesiya Wiley and a friend entering their vehicle while being approached by five officers with weapons drawn. As the car initially reversed and struck a parked vehicle, it then accelerated forward. Sergeant Hunter Foster stepped directly into the vehicle's path, appearing to touch the car's hood before leaping aside to fire his weapon.
The dispute over the "imminent danger" claim
Legal experts and the Wiley family are sharply divided on whether Sergeant Foster faced a legitimate threat. foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, argued that the officer had no choice but to fire because the vehicle was moving toward him, suggesting the extra shots were driven by "muscle memory."
However, attoorney Ben Crump and an independent autopsy commissioned by the family suggest the fatal shot originated from the side of the car, rather than the front. Expert John P. Gross, a specialist in police use of force against moving vehicles, noted that because the car was already moving past Foster, the officer could not claim he was in danger of being struck at the moment he fired.
Why the Mississippi Attorney General's clearance fell short
The Mississippi Attorney General's office recently concluded a months-long probe, clearing Sergeant Foster of criminal wrongdoing. The state's findings concluded that his use of force was justified, a decision that has been met with intense criticism from the victim's family.
Attorney Van Turner has called for Foster's decertification to prevent him from joining a different agency. The Wiley family is also seeking a federal investigation, arguing that the state's clearance and the timing of the footage leak represent a failure of transparency.
Who will answer for the driver’s uncharged actions?
Several critical details regarding the legal fallout remain unresolved. While the shooting has led to a resignation, the driver of the vehicle—Vellesiya Wiley's friend—has not faced any charges related to the incident.
Furthermore, the original allegation of shoplifting remains unverified, as Vellesiya Wiley has denied stealing items and no charges were filed. This leaves a significant gap in the narrative: whether the use of deadly force was a proportionate response to a suspected theft that never resulted in a formal charge.
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