Senatobia Police Chief fired over racist text messages

The Senatobia Board of Aldermen in Mississippi unanimously voted to fire Police Chief Harold Vanderford on Tuesday. While Vanderford attempted to submit his resignation, city leadership rejected the move and opted for termination instead.

The decision follows investigative reports from The New York Times, Mississippi Today, and Verite News, which revealed that Vanderford had used racist slurs and degrading language toward Black people in private text messages to colleagues.

The firing occurs amid heightened community tension following the June 14 shooting death of Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old Black toddler. Wiley was fatally shot by a police officer during a response to a shoplifting call at a local Walmart. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Wiley family, called the termination the ‘right decision’ and continues to call for the release of body camera footage from the incident. Lt. Angelica Maze will lead the department until a permanent replacement is appointed.