The Board of Aldermen in Senatobia, Mississippi, voted unanimously on Tuesday night to terminate Police Chief Harold "Hal" Vanderford, rejecting a resignation letter he had submitted earlier in the day. This decision came after investigative reports by Mississippi Today, Verite News, and The New York Times exposed that Vanderford had frequently used racist slurs and degrading language about Black people in text messages. These revelations prompted the board to take swift action, despite earlier public expressions of confidence in Vanderford. The controversy follows a tragic incident earlier this year in which a Black toddler, Kohen Wiley, was killed and his mother, Latoya Ferrell, was wounded during a police encounter at a Walmart parking lot. According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, officers responded to a call about stolen diapers and baby clothes and surrounded a vehicle. The driver, Ferrell, drove toward the officers, nearly striking one, which led to gunfire. The officer involved, Sgt. Hunter Foster, was placed on leave after the incident. Prior to this, Foster had faced at least two complaints about using racially offensive language toward colleagues, but Vanderford had not taken disciplinary action, as reported by Mississippi Today. Vanderford, who became police chief in October, sent texts containing racist slurs more than a dozen times across 10 separate conversations. In one message, he wrote about having a "racist moment," and in another, he claimed he "almost beat" a Black man using a slur. He also texted that he had been loudly repeating the slur at home, hoping his neighbors could hear. Multiple acquaintances confirmed the phone number linked to the messages belonged to Vanderford. Before the recent vote, the board held closed-door meetings with Vanderford. After an August 25 meeting, the mayor and board issued a public statement expressing confidence in Vanderford, saying he gave "sincere" answers. However, board members later distanced themselves from that statement. Alderman Chris McConnell stated the board did not accept Vanderford's resignation and fired him. Alderman Demetrius Garrett called on Mayor Greg Graves to step down, saying the city needed a leader who cared about its residents, and noted that without such leadership, tragic situations like the shooting could occur.