Mississippi police department catches fire amid fury over 1-year-old’s shooting

Fire under investigation

The department building in Senatobia, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Memphis, caught fire on Saturday. Investigators suspect the fire was deliberately set. Crews quickly put out the blaze. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with local agencies to identify who set it.

Shooting prompted criticism

The department had faced growing criticism in recent months, beginning with the June shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley. An officer shot and killed Wiley while responding to a shoplifting call at a Walmart.

Wiley, who was Black, was in a vehicle with his mother and her friend. His mother was unharmed, while her friend was seriously injured; both women denied stealing anything, and neither has been charged.

Sgt. Hunter Foster, the officer involved, resigned earlier this month. The Mississippi Attorney General’s office cleared him of criminal wrongdoing, concluding his use of force was justified.

Chief dismissed by aldermen

Vanderford also wrote that he had loudly repeated the slur at home, hoping neighbors would hear. Multiple acquaintances confirmed that the phone number linked to the messages belonged to him.