Federal Agents Investigate Fire at Senatobia Police Station

Smoke filled the Senatobia Police Department headquarters this past Saturday morning, prompting a fire investigation by federal and local agencies.

Firefighters arrived at the station at 4:58 a.m. to address the smoke, according to a statement from the Senatobia Fire Department. Crews extinguished the fire quickly, though officials have not yet released details on the extent of the damage. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working alongside local agencies to determine the cause, and it remains unclear whether the fire was accidental or intentional.

The incident occurred in the town of Senatobia, a community of approximately 8,000 residents located about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The station has faced intense scrutiny since June, when an officer shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley during a shoplifting call at a local Walmart. Wiley was in the vehicle with his mother, who was unharmed, and her friend, who suffered serious injuries. Both women maintained that they had not stolen anything, and no charges have been filed against them.

Tensions escalated in September when the police chief was dismissed following reports that he used racist slurs in private text messages. Those reports came from The New York Times, Mississippi Today, and Verite News. Earlier this month, the officer involved in the shooting of Wiley resigned. The Mississippi Attorney General’s office had previously concluded that the officer’s use of force was justified and cleared him of criminal wrongdoing.

The Associated Press has reached out to the fire department, the police department, and the Tate County Sheriff’s Office for additional comment on the investigation and the station’s operational status.