AI Generated Image
North Mississippi police chief fired amid controversy after fatal shooting of a child
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired unanimously by the city’s board of aldermen amid controversy over racist text messages and the fatal shooting of 1-year-old Black child Kohen Wiley by police responding to a shoplifting call.
- Kohen Wiley was shot and killed on June 14 when an officer fired into a vehicle during a Walmart shoplifting investigation; the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation probes the incident.
- The firing follows reports revealing Vanderford’s use of racist slurs in private texts and comes amid longstanding tensions between Senatobia’s Black community and police, with calls for greater accountability and transparency.
- Senatobia Alderman Chris McConnell demanded an independent investigation into the police department’s leadership, culture, and oversight, while civil rights attorney Ben Crump urged the release of body-camera footage related to Wiley’s shooting.
- Community activists highlight a persistent culture of racism within the department despite leadership changes, and Lt. Angelica Maze has been appointed interim police chief as watchdog groups push for reform.
