A fire tore through the headquarters of the Senatobia Police Department in Mississippi early Saturday, months after the agency faced intense scrutiny over the fatal police shooting of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley.
The blaze erupted at about 4:30 a.m. at the department’s headquarters, roughly 40 miles south of Memphis, and was quickly brought under control.
Although the building sustained damage, the department said police services would continue without interruption.
Senatobia police came under widespread criticism in June after an officer shot and killed Kohen while responding to a reported shoplifting incident at a Walmart.
Authorities said officers suspected the boy’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, and her friend, Latoya Ferrell, of stealing diapers and baby clothes from the store.
Police said officers attempted to stop the vehicle after the driver allegedly drove toward them, prompting one officer to fire. Kohen was fatally struck in the shooting.
The toddler’s mother was not injured, while Ferrell suffered serious injuries.
Relatives rejected claims that Wiley and Ferrell had stolen the diapers, and neither woman has been charged.
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The officer who fired the fatal shot resigned earlier this month. However, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office cleared him of criminal wrongdoing after determining that his use of force was justified.
In September, Police Chief Harold Vanderford was fired after reports emerged that he had used racist slurs in private text messages.
The cause of Saturday’s fire has not been determined. The US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating alongside local authorities.
“We want to assure the public that this incident is being taken extremely seriously,” interim Police Chief LaMorris Hampton said in a statement Saturday night.
“Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, certain details cannot be released at this time,” the statement said.
“We understand the concerns this incident may raise within our community and want to reassure our citizens that we remain dedicated to fulfilling our responsibilities with professionalism, integrity, and transparency.”
With Post wires.
