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Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford fired after reports of racist text messages

The Senatobia Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to fire police chief Harold Vanderford on Tuesday. The decision followed reports that Vanderford routinely used racist slurs and degrading language against Black people in a series of text messages dating back to last summer.

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Before the board's vote, Vanderford submitted a resignation letter, but the board chose to reject it and terminate him instead. This firing occurs in the context of a high-profile incident where a white officer fatally shot one-year-old Kohen Wiley, a Black toddler, while responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart. The shooting occurred on June 14 when officers attempted to stop a vehicle containing the child. Attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wiley family, stated that removing the chief was the right decision but noted that the family still awaits video footage of the incident. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is currently leading the investigation into the death of Kohen Wiley.

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