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3 clusters · 25 sources · 8 days · First seen · Last updated

Senatobia Police Chief fired over racist text messages

Overview

Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford has been fired following reports that he used racial slurs and expressed hatred toward Black people in private text messages. The Senatobia Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to terminate his employment after Vanderford attempted to submit his resignation.

According to reports from Mississippi Today, a colleague shared approximately ten text conversations dating back to the previous summer. These messages, which were verified by news outlets, contained more than a dozen instances of racial slurs. In the communications, Vanderford reportedly described having a “racist moment” and used various racial epithets.

Vanderford, a 60-year-old veteran with 29 years in law enforcement, was hired last October with the specific objective of “reestablishing and solidifying trust” within the community. His appointment followed the removal of the previous chief amid controversies involving the arrest of a 10-year-old Black boy and the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old Black infant, Kohen Wiley, by a white officer in June.

Following the termination, Ben Crump, the civil rights attorney representing the Wiley family, described the firing as the ‘right decision.’ Crump continues to advocate for the release of body camera footage related to the Wiley shooting incident. Lt. Angelica Maze will lead the Senatobia Police Department until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Entities

Kohen Wiley · Senatobia Police Department · Senatobia · Harold Vanderford · Ben Crump

Timeline

  1. 10 days ago

    [CRIME] 14 sources
    Senatobia Police Chief fired over racist text messages

    Senatobia, Mississippi, officials fired Police Chief Harold Vanderford after reports revealed he used racist slurs in text messages. The move follows the fatal June shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley.

  2. 14 days ago

    [CRIME] 11 sources
    Senatobia Police Chief exposed for using racial slurs in text messages

    Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford has been exposed using racial slurs and expressing hatred toward Black people in leaked text messages, according to reports from Mississippi Today.

  3. 18 days ago

    [CRIME] 8 sources
    Senatobia Police Chief allegedly used racial slurs in private texts

    Senatobia, Mississippi Police Chief Harold Vanderford allegedly used racial slurs in over a dozen private text messages, amid ongoing scrutiny of the department following a fatal officer-involved shooting.

Sources

1053rnb.com · 92q.com · classixphilly.com · desotocountynews.com · elfarolatino.com · fox40jackson.com · independent.co.uk · kissrichmond.com · kysdc.com · majic945.com · mississippifreepress.org · mycolumbusmagic.com · newsone.com · rickeysmileymorningshow.com · rnbphilly.com · thebeatdfw.com · theboxhouston.com · thebuzzcincy.com · themorninghustle.com · wiznation.com · wolbbaltimore.com · woldcnews.com · wtlcfm.com · wtop.com · wzakcleveland.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history