Nationwide — Sgt. Hunter Foster, a white police officer in Senatobia, Mississippi, who is involved in the fatal Walmart shooting that killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, allegedly made a racist remark toward a Black coworker two days before the incident. The allegation comes as officials continue facing questions about the June 14 shooting.
According to Mississippi Today, an internal police complaint claims Foster entered the department’s booking room on June 12 while Officer Dexter Smith was completing paperwork. Foster allegedly asked, “Who is this Black motherf*cker back there?”
Smith, who is Black, said he was surprised by the comment because he had little interaction with Foster before the incident. He wrote in his complaint that Foster repeated the remark while two other officers were present.
Smith reported the incident to the department, but he later said officials failed to provide a meaningful response or investigate the complaint. About a month after filing it, Smith resigned, saying the department’s handling of the matter influenced his decision.
The complaint became public after Foster was placed on leave following the June 14 shooting at a Senatobia Walmart. The shooting killed Kohen Wiley and injured 22-year-old Latoya Ferrell, who was accused of shoplifting baby items.
Authorities said officers attempted to stop Ferrell’s vehicle, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation claimed the driver moved toward officers and nearly struck one of them before police opened fire. Officials have not confirmed whether Foster was one of the officers who fired.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Kohen’s family, said a forensic expert hired by the family determined that the toddler was struck by a bullet from the side at an intermediate distance. Crump said the finding raised questions about whether officers faced an immediate threat when they fired.
The Senatobia Police Department has faced criticism over both the shooting and the alleged racist comment. Authorities have not released surveillance or body camera footage from the Walmart incident.
Foster has not responded to requests for comment about the allegations. A department spokesperson and Foster’s father, a retired law enforcement officer, also declined to comment.
Foster joined the Senatobia Police Department in March 2025 and was promoted to sergeant six months later. Before joining the department, he worked for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office and Southaven Police Department, where he faced allegations in separate lawsuits involving excessive force and inaccurate reporting. Foster denied wrongdoing in those cases.