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The Story
Mississippi cleared Foster because officials accepted that the moving car posed an imminent danger to him.
The state’s case turns on an imminent-threat account: the vehicle moved forward after backing into another car, and Foster’s attorney says it was going to strike him. On that view, deadly force was justified to protect the officer, regardless of the shoplifting call’s low stakes. The attorney general accepted that account and closed the matter without charges.
- The Mississippi attorney general found Foster’s use of force appropriate and justified after investigating the shooting.
- Foster’s attorney said the officer had no choice because the vehicle was going to hit him.
- The vehicle backed into a parked car, then accelerated forward as Foster stood in front of it and moved out of the way.
Deeper Insight
Mississippi’s imminent-threat verdict rests against a side-window bullet and a state probe that cleared the shooter.
A 1-year-old was killed by a bullet through the passenger-side window as the car left Walmart. Foster’s attorney says it was about to hit him. The footage and an independent pathologist say the car was passing, not bearing down. Mississippi cleared Foster after investigating itself. The angle of the shot now tests who gets a credible verdict.
- The Intercept reports that Foster positioned himself in front of the vehicle and fired into the passenger-side window after the car was moving past him.
- NewsNation’s account says the wheels appeared to turn away from Foster as he jumped from the hood before firing.
- An independent pathologist retained by Wiley’s family concluded that the fatal bullet entered through the side passenger window, challenging the account that the vehicle was driving toward officers.
Sources · 8
Featured · Analysis · theintercept.com
Bodycam: Cop Was Not in Danger When He Fired Shots That Killed 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley
After the Mississippi attorney general cleared a white cop for firing into a car and killing a Black toddler in a Walmart parking lot, video footage released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety has revealed the fullest picture to date of what happened. The videos, provided to The Intercept in response to a public records request, come on the heels of leaked footage that exposed how a ne
Read sourceAnalysis · ibtimes.co.uk
Mississippi Police Shot Baby 'From the Side' of Car, Autopsy Shows, Not Head-On as Claimed | IBTimes UK
Mississippi Police Shot Baby 'From the Side' of Car, Autopsy Shows, Not Head-On as Claimed | IBTimes UK ## Civil rights attorney Ben Crump presents findings that dispute law enforcement's narrative in the shooting of Kohen Wiley By Christelle May Napiza Published 02 July 2026, 10:05 PM BST A 1-year-
Read sourceAnalysis · newsnationnow.com
Kohen Wiley: Officer’s attorney, ex-police captain debate ‘justified’ ruling
(NewsNation) — After Mississippi concluded the officer’s use of force was justified in the fatal shooting of Kohen Wiley, the officer’s attorney and a retired police captain are speaking out. The state released body cam footage Thursday showing the shooting of Wiley, which his family argued does not
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