SENATOBIA, Mississippi — October 23, 2026
A Mississippi police officer who fatally shot a 1-year-old boy during a June encounter outside a Walmart has resigned, following the release of body-camera footage that renewed public scrutiny of the incident.
Hunter Foster, a Senatobia police officer, fired into a moving vehicle on June 14, killing Kohen Wiley, who was sitting in the car with his mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and a family friend who was driving. Senatobia’s interim police chief, Angelica Maze, also resigned, according to local officials.
The incident has prompted questions about police use of deadly force, the state’s investigation and accountability for the child’s death.
What happened in the Walmart parking lot?
Officers were at the Walmart in Senatobia, about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, when they received information that two women were suspected of shoplifting.
Police approached the women’s vehicle as they attempted to leave the parking lot. Body-camera footage released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety shows officers approaching with their weapons drawn and ordering the driver to stop.
The vehicle reversed and struck a parked car before moving forward. Foster, who was standing near the front passenger side, fired several shots. One bullet struck Kohen, who was seated in the front passenger area with his mother.
Kohen was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The driver was also wounded.
Neither woman has been charged with shoplifting, and Kohen’s mother has disputed the claim that they stole anything.
State officials say the shooting was justified
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced that the state’s investigation had found the officer’s use of force justified under state law. Her office said there was insufficient evidence of criminal conduct to present the case to a grand jury, and prosecutors declined to bring charges.
Foster’s attorney, Martin Zummach, has maintained that the driver moved toward officers and that Foster acted to protect himself and others from the vehicle.
The state’s conclusion has not resolved the controversy. Kohen’s family and its attorneys argue that the shooting was excessive and that the officer’s positioning and decision to fire should be scrutinized.
Family calls for accountability
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, criticized the decision not to prosecute Foster and called for a federal investigation.
Kohen’s grandmothers have also spoken publicly about their grief and their disagreement with the state’s finding. They say the newly released footage has deepened their concerns about the officers’ response.
The family’s attorneys argue that the initial suspected offense was a shoplifting allegation and question whether deadly force was necessary.
Resignations do not end the dispute
Foster’s resignation and Maze’s departure have added another development to the case, but they do not resolve the dispute over the shooting.
The state has declined criminal prosecution, while the family continues to seek accountability and has called for further investigation. The officer’s attorney continues to defend his actions.
The case has become part of a wider national discussion about police encounters, the use of deadly force and the transparency of investigations when a person is killed by law enforcement.
Kohen would have turned 2 on November 1. His family continues to mourn his death and seek answers about the events that led to the shooting.
Source: CNN, October 23, 2026; reporting by Ryan Young, Caroll Alvarado and Dalia Faheid. Additional context from Reuters and the Associated Press. This is a rewritten news summary, not an official CNN publication.
SENATOBIA, Mississippi — October 23, 2026
