Text Messages Raise New Questions About Senatobia Police Chief Amid Fallout From Fatal Shooting of 1-Year-Old

SENATOBIA, MS (BuzzReport) — New revelations involving the chief of the Senatobia Police Department are intensifying scrutiny of the department, weeks after the fatal police shooting of a 1-year-old boy sparked outrage and renewed concerns about the treatment of Black residents.

Text messages obtained by journalists reportedly show Senatobia Police Chief Harold Vanderford using racist language in private conversations with a colleague, including a racial slur directed at Black people multiple times.

The messages have raised serious questions about Vanderford’s judgment and leadership of a police department already facing intense public criticism.

Department Already Under Scrutiny

The revelations come less than three months after the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who was killed during a June 14 police shooting outside a Walmart in Senatobia.

Police had responded to a reported shoplifting incident when officers opened fire at a vehicle carrying Wiley. Authorities said an officer fired after the vehicle drove in the officer’s direction.

Wiley was killed, while a Black woman inside the vehicle was also injured.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting have remained deeply controversial. Wiley’s family and their attorneys have called for greater transparency, including the release of body-camera and dashboard-camera footage that could provide a clearer picture of what happened in the moments leading up to the gunfire.

The shooting quickly became a flashpoint in Senatobia, prompting anger from residents and drawing renewed attention to allegations of racial disparities in policing.

Troubling Messages

The newly revealed text exchanges reportedly include Vanderford referring to having a “racist moment” and repeatedly using an extremely offensive racial slur.

In one exchange, Vanderford allegedly described an encounter involving a Black person and a white woman and made a disturbing reference to nearly assaulting someone.

The reported messages are particularly significant because some of the communications allegedly occurred after Vanderford had assumed leadership of the police department.

While the messages alone do not establish that Vanderford ordered officers to discriminate against Black residents or that his statements directly influenced a particular police action, they raise legitimate questions about the culture and leadership of a department serving a racially diverse community.

Another Officer Facing Questions

The controversy surrounding Vanderford comes after allegations involving another Senatobia officer.

Sgt. Hunter Foster, an officer connected to the department’s response to the fatal Walmart shooting, was reportedly accused of making a racially offensive comment toward a Black colleague shortly before the June 14 incident.

Foster was later placed on leave following the shooting.

The allegations have intensified concerns among community members who are questioning whether the problems facing the department involve individual officers or point to deeper issues within the agency.

A Community Demanding Answers

The death of Kohen Wiley remains at the center of the controversy.

The young boy’s death has left his family demanding answers about why police opened fire and whether the use of deadly force was justified.

For residents, the latest allegations involving the police chief add another troubling dimension to an already painful situation.

The questions now extend beyond the circumstances of one police shooting and into the broader areas of leadership, accountability, racial attitudes and public trust.

Police departments are entrusted with enormous authority, including the power to use deadly force. That authority comes with an equally significant responsibility to maintain public confidence and ensure that officers treat residents fairly and professionally.

The reported text messages have placed Senatobia’s police chief under renewed scrutiny at a particularly difficult moment for the department.

As the controversy continues, residents and Wiley’s family are likely to remain focused on whether city officials will investigate the allegations, whether additional records and video will be released, and whether meaningful action will be taken to address concerns about the department’s leadership and internal culture.

For a community already grieving the death of a child, the demand is simple: answers, transparency and accountability.