Mississippi Police Chief Fired Over Racist Texts After 1-Year-Old Kohen Wiley Shot Dead
Senatobia's police chief has been dismissed after racist slurs were found in his text messages, months after officers shot and killed a 1-year-old boy.
Senatobia fires police chief over racial slurs as family of slain toddler demands answers
Google News MT — Crime (en) reports that the police chief of Senatobia, Mississippi, has been dismissed following an investigation that revealed he repeatedly used racial slurs in private text messages — a development that intensifies scrutiny over the June shooting death of one-year-old Kohen Wiley by officers from the same department.
The City of Senatobia terminated Police Chief Harold "Hal" Vanderford at a Tuesday night Board of Aldermen meeting, rejecting his resignation in favour of outright dismissal. It marks the second time in 14 months that the city, home to approximately 8,500 residents, has removed a sitting police chief.
An investigation published last month by Mississippi Today and the New York Times found that Vanderford used the N-word and other racial slurs more than a dozen times in text messages spanning from summer 2025 through to the period after he was sworn in as chief. In one message, Vanderford allegedly wrote that he "almost beat a n*** and a white woman's a a few minutes ago."
Vanderford was appointed chief in October 2025, less than three months after the Board of Aldermen voted against reappointing his predecessor, Richard Chandler, in July 2025 following separate incidents involving the Senatobia police.
Family attorney demands footage release
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Kohen Wiley's family, issued a statement calling the reported language "reprehensible" and said it made "the continued secrecy and lack of cooperation surrounding Kohen's death even more unacceptable."
In a subsequent statement responding directly to the firing, Crump kept pressure on city and state authorities over the footage of the fatal shooting. "Removing this chief was the right decision, and the Senatobia Board of Aldermen deserves credit for acting," Crump said. "But it does not answer the question Kohen's family has been asking since June 14: what happened to their baby?"
Crump added that Kohen's family had still not been permitted to view the footage nearly three months after the child was shot and killed by an officer responding to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart. He called on the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to release the footage and complete its inquiry into Sergeant Foster, the officer involved.
Board members break ranks
The termination followed a public split within the Board of Aldermen. Just days before the vote, city leaders had issued a statement describing Vanderford's appearance before the board as "sincere," saying he "will continue to serve the City with confidence."
Alderman Allen Tanksley, one of two Black members of the board, subsequently distanced himself from that statement. "Let the record show, truth be told, I, Allen Tanksley, did not agree with that statement and had no part of that statement," he said.
Alderman at Large Demetrius Garrett, the board's other Black member, moved directly to terminate rather than accept the chief's resignation. The full board then voted unanimously in closed-door executive session to dismiss Vanderford.
Community activists claim a win
Patrick Lumumba, founder of the Senatobia Committee for Accountability and Transparency, described the outcome as a turning point. "We got a win today!" Lumumba said following the meeting. "We got the head off the monster today. So we got some more heads that need to roll. We got some more dominoes that need to fall."
Lumumba said the firing had demonstrated to residents the power of civic engagement. "People are beginning to see how they can be activated in the political process, and they're seeing the results of it right now and today," he said.
Interim leadership appointed
Alderman Chris McConnell confirmed that Lieutenant Angelica Maze has been selected to lead the department on an interim basis while the search for a permanent chief gets under way. Senatobia is now seeking its third police chief in just over a year.
Vanderford has not responded to requests for comment.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)