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Senatobia Police Chief fired over racist text messages

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2026-09-02 16:42 UTC → 2026-09-03 02:52 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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.

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