The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives awarded a posthumous Gold Star Medal to officer William Henderson Foote 128 years after his death. Foote is said to be the first black deputy collector (or police officer) killed in the line of duty.
Born a free man on June 27, 1843 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Foote gained his education at Oberlin College. After graduation, he returned to Yazoo City, Mississippi to work as constable. He later served as town marshal, circuit clerk then city tax collector, until he settled on deputy collector to enforce liquor tax laws. His last job was tough and had lots of opposition. While serving, he advocated for black civil rights in the era of post-Reconstruction.
Deputy collectors like Foote carried weapons and badges. The people of Yazoo City were already racially sensitive from the civil rights push. On Dec. 24th, Foote tried to stop a mob of white men from assaulting a black man. Three of the white men were killed in the fight, resulting in Foote's arrest and the arrest of several other black men. Five days later, as the men awaited trial, a white mob broke into the jail and executed Foote and the other captured men.
Attention:
Next year, during National Police Week, Foote's name will be unveiled on the ATF Memorial Wall and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. His award from the ATF this week was accepted by his grandniece, Dr. Bettye Gardner, a professor of African-American history at Coppin State University.
∼Deputy Collector
William Henderson Foote
United States Department of the Treasury - Office of Internal Revenue - Division of Revenue Agents, U.S. Government
Deputy Collector William Foote was shot and killed by an angry mob after being taken from the county jail in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Deputy Collector Foote was attending church on Christmas Eve when a citizen notified him that three white men were trying to whip an African American man. Deputy Collector Foote immediately went to the scene and placed himself between the aggressors and the victim.
Shots were fired during the ensuing confrontation and all three of the aggressors were killed. Deputy Collector Foote and three other African American men were arrested by local authorities and held in connection with the deaths. The original victim who Deputy Collector Foote was protecting was later shot and killed by a posse while attempting to arrest him.
On December 29, 1883, a mob of citizens stormed the jail and, in an act of extrajudicial punishment, killed all four detained men. Deputy Collector Foote was shot several times in the head.
Deputy Collector Foote had served with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (a legacy agency of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) for about three years. He had previously served in other local law enforcement and political positions since 1869. He may have served in the Civil War as an Independent for the Confederate Army. He was survived by his wife and three children.
Deputy Collector Foote is believed to be the first African American federal law enforcement officer known to be killed in the line of duty.
End of Watch: Saturday, December 29, 1883
Born a free man on June 27, 1843 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Foote gained his education at Oberlin College. After graduation, he returned to Yazoo City, Mississippi to work as constable. He later served as town marshal, circuit clerk then city tax collector, until he settled on deputy collector to enforce liquor tax laws. His last job was tough and had lots of opposition. While serving, he advocated for black civil rights in the era of post-Reconstruction.
Deputy collectors like Foote carried weapons and badges. The people of Yazoo City were already racially sensitive from the civil rights push. On Dec. 24th, Foote tried to stop a mob of white men from assaulting a black man. Three of the white men were killed in the fight, resulting in Foote's arrest and the arrest of several other black men. Five days later, as the men awaited trial, a white mob broke into the jail and executed Foote and the other captured men.
Attention:
Next year, during National Police Week, Foote's name will be unveiled on the ATF Memorial Wall and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. His award from the ATF this week was accepted by his grandniece, Dr. Bettye Gardner, a professor of African-American history at Coppin State University.
∼Deputy Collector
William Henderson Foote
United States Department of the Treasury - Office of Internal Revenue - Division of Revenue Agents, U.S. Government
Deputy Collector William Foote was shot and killed by an angry mob after being taken from the county jail in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Deputy Collector Foote was attending church on Christmas Eve when a citizen notified him that three white men were trying to whip an African American man. Deputy Collector Foote immediately went to the scene and placed himself between the aggressors and the victim.
Shots were fired during the ensuing confrontation and all three of the aggressors were killed. Deputy Collector Foote and three other African American men were arrested by local authorities and held in connection with the deaths. The original victim who Deputy Collector Foote was protecting was later shot and killed by a posse while attempting to arrest him.
On December 29, 1883, a mob of citizens stormed the jail and, in an act of extrajudicial punishment, killed all four detained men. Deputy Collector Foote was shot several times in the head.
Deputy Collector Foote had served with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (a legacy agency of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) for about three years. He had previously served in other local law enforcement and political positions since 1869. He may have served in the Civil War as an Independent for the Confederate Army. He was survived by his wife and three children.
Deputy Collector Foote is believed to be the first African American federal law enforcement officer known to be killed in the line of duty.
End of Watch: Saturday, December 29, 1883
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives awarded a posthumous Gold Star Medal to officer William Henderson Foote 128 years after his death. Foote is said to be the first black deputy collector (or police officer) killed in the line of duty.
Born a free man on June 27, 1843 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Foote gained his education at Oberlin College. After graduation, he returned to Yazoo City, Mississippi to work as constable. He later served as town marshal, circuit clerk then city tax collector, until he settled on deputy collector to enforce liquor tax laws. His last job was tough and had lots of opposition. While serving, he advocated for black civil rights in the era of post-Reconstruction.
Deputy collectors like Foote carried weapons and badges. The people of Yazoo City were already racially sensitive from the civil rights push. On Dec. 24th, Foote tried to stop a mob of white men from assaulting a black man. Three of the white men were killed in the fight, resulting in Foote's arrest and the arrest of several other black men. Five days later, as the men awaited trial, a white mob broke into the jail and executed Foote and the other captured men.
Attention:
Next year, during National Police Week, Foote's name will be unveiled on the ATF Memorial Wall and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. His award from the ATF this week was accepted by his grandniece, Dr. Bettye Gardner, a professor of African-American history at Coppin State University.
∼Deputy Collector
William Henderson Foote
United States Department of the Treasury - Office of Internal Revenue - Division of Revenue Agents, U.S. Government
Deputy Collector William Foote was shot and killed by an angry mob after being taken from the county jail in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Deputy Collector Foote was attending church on Christmas Eve when a citizen notified him that three white men were trying to whip an African American man. Deputy Collector Foote immediately went to the scene and placed himself between the aggressors and the victim.
Shots were fired during the ensuing confrontation and all three of the aggressors were killed. Deputy Collector Foote and three other African American men were arrested by local authorities and held in connection with the deaths. The original victim who Deputy Collector Foote was protecting was later shot and killed by a posse while attempting to arrest him.
On December 29, 1883, a mob of citizens stormed the jail and, in an act of extrajudicial punishment, killed all four detained men. Deputy Collector Foote was shot several times in the head.
Deputy Collector Foote had served with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (a legacy agency of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) for about three years. He had previously served in other local law enforcement and political positions since 1869. He may have served in the Civil War as an Independent for the Confederate Army. He was survived by his wife and three children.
Deputy Collector Foote is believed to be the first African American federal law enforcement officer known to be killed in the line of duty.
End of Watch: Saturday, December 29, 1883
Born a free man on June 27, 1843 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Foote gained his education at Oberlin College. After graduation, he returned to Yazoo City, Mississippi to work as constable. He later served as town marshal, circuit clerk then city tax collector, until he settled on deputy collector to enforce liquor tax laws. His last job was tough and had lots of opposition. While serving, he advocated for black civil rights in the era of post-Reconstruction.
Deputy collectors like Foote carried weapons and badges. The people of Yazoo City were already racially sensitive from the civil rights push. On Dec. 24th, Foote tried to stop a mob of white men from assaulting a black man. Three of the white men were killed in the fight, resulting in Foote's arrest and the arrest of several other black men. Five days later, as the men awaited trial, a white mob broke into the jail and executed Foote and the other captured men.
Attention:
Next year, during National Police Week, Foote's name will be unveiled on the ATF Memorial Wall and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C. His award from the ATF this week was accepted by his grandniece, Dr. Bettye Gardner, a professor of African-American history at Coppin State University.
∼Deputy Collector
William Henderson Foote
United States Department of the Treasury - Office of Internal Revenue - Division of Revenue Agents, U.S. Government
Deputy Collector William Foote was shot and killed by an angry mob after being taken from the county jail in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Deputy Collector Foote was attending church on Christmas Eve when a citizen notified him that three white men were trying to whip an African American man. Deputy Collector Foote immediately went to the scene and placed himself between the aggressors and the victim.
Shots were fired during the ensuing confrontation and all three of the aggressors were killed. Deputy Collector Foote and three other African American men were arrested by local authorities and held in connection with the deaths. The original victim who Deputy Collector Foote was protecting was later shot and killed by a posse while attempting to arrest him.
On December 29, 1883, a mob of citizens stormed the jail and, in an act of extrajudicial punishment, killed all four detained men. Deputy Collector Foote was shot several times in the head.
Deputy Collector Foote had served with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (a legacy agency of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) for about three years. He had previously served in other local law enforcement and political positions since 1869. He may have served in the Civil War as an Independent for the Confederate Army. He was survived by his wife and three children.
Deputy Collector Foote is believed to be the first African American federal law enforcement officer known to be killed in the line of duty.
End of Watch: Saturday, December 29, 1883
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