Senatobia police officer involved in fatal toddler shooting accused of racial slur

A Senatobia police officer involved in the June 14 shooting that killed a 1-year-old and injured a woman was accused of making a racially offensive remark days prior, according to an internal complaint reviewed by Mississippi Today.

Sergeant Hunter Foster was placed on leave two days after the incident at a Walmart, though authorities have not confirmed if he discharged his weapon. Records released by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation listed Foster as the subject of the investigation, but the agency later said the listing was an error.

According to a complaint filed by Officer Dexter Smith, Foster entered the department’s booking room on June 12 and asked, “Who is this Black motherfucker back there?” Smith, who is Black, said he was taken aback by the comment. He noted that he had little prior relationship with Foster and that the remark was overheard by two other officers. Smith left the room after the comment and later resigned from the department, citing a lack of response to his complaint, which was submitted about a month earlier.

Foster, 32, has not responded to requests for comment. His father, a retired law enforcement officer, was also contacted but did not respond. The department and Foster have faced criticism since the Walmart shooting, which also injured 22-year-old Latoya Ferrell. She was accused of shoplifting at the store.

The shooting occurred as officers reportedly tried to stop a vehicle carrying the toddler’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and Ferrell. Authorities said the driver nearly struck an officer, prompting officers to open fire. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wiley family, hired a forensic pathologist who concluded that Kohen Wiley was shot from an intermediate distance, suggesting officers were not in immediate danger.

Attorneys for the family are demanding the release of body and dashboard camera footage and have announced plans for an independent autopsy. They believe such evidence could help shed light on the circumstances of the shooting.

Foster previously worked for the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office and Southaven Police Department. During his career, he was named in lawsuits alleging misconduct, including claims of excessive force and exaggerating threats. Foster’s attorney has denied those allegations, and courts dismissed the suits.

Source: Original Article