Mississippi Police Chief Fired After ’Racist Moment’ as Slain Toddler’s Family Demands Answers

Leaders of the northern Mississippi city of Senatobia fired Police Chief Harold Vanderford on 1 September 2026, days after journalists reported allegations that he routinely used degrading language and racist slurs against Black people in private text messages.

Vanderford submitted his resignation earlier that day. However, the city's Board of Aldermen rejected it and voted to terminate him instead.

Vanderford had faced intense criticism following the fatal shooting of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old Black child, on 14 June 2026. A Senatobia police officer opened fire on a vehicle while responding to a shoplifting report at a Walmart on US Highway 51.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said officers had attempted to stop the vehicle, but that the driver drove towards them and nearly struck one of the officers. The family has disputed that account.

Senatobia Alderman Chris McConnell confirmed the developments in a formal statement. "We did not accept Vanderford's resignation and fired him," McConnell said. He added that Lt. Angelica Maze would lead the department until a permanent replacement was appointed.

Senatobia Fires Police Chief Over Racist Texts

Vanderford became police chief in October 2025. At the time, the board described his leadership style as firm and fair, saying he was focused on upholding the department's highest standards of professionalism.

In August 2026, reporters from Mississippi Today, Verite News and The New York Times reported that Vanderford had allegedly used a racist slur several times. The reports said the slurs appeared in a series of 10 text conversations dating back to the previous summer.

Reports Detail Racist Messages Sent by Chief

In one message, the chief reportedly said he was having a "racist moment". In another, Vanderford reportedly wrote that he had almost beaten a Black person and a white woman a few minutes earlier.

Some of his acquaintances confirmed that the phone number belonged to him. On 31 August 2026, at-large Alderman Demetrius Garrett told the media he would move to terminate Vanderford immediately "if these allegations are true". Garrett formally made the motion to dismiss him on 1 September 2026.

Family Demands Answers After Fatal Toddler Shooting

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Wiley family, said firing Vanderford over the reported text messages was the right decision. "But Kohen Wiley's family still deserves answers," Crump wrote on X. "What happened to their 1-year-old baby? Nearly 3 months later, they still haven't seen the footage."

Vanderford did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the news organisations that reported the allegations.

Crump said the racist language that cost Vanderford his job was precisely why the family could not simply be told to trust the process. He demanded that officials release the video and provide the family with the facts it was owed.

Meanwhile, the family alleged that Vanderford had not offered private condolences since the June shooting. Kohen Wiley was in the Walmart car park with his mother and a family friend when an officer opened fire on their vehicle.

Mississippi Bureau Investigates Fatal June Walmart Shooting

Crump said the child's mother, who has not been charged with any crime, told him she was trying to alert officers that there was a baby inside the car. "They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old. We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him," Crump wrote on X at the time.

After the fatal encounter, the Board of Aldermen placed the officer involved, Sgt. Hunter Foster, on leave two days after the incident. The shooting remains under investigation by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Originally published on IBTimes UK