Federal officials investigate fire at beleaguered police department in Mississippi

Federal authorities and local agencies are investigating a fire at the Senatobia Police Department in Mississippi, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The blaze, which occurred Saturday morning, caused damage to the building housing the beleaguered department. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and it is unclear whether it was intentionally set.

Senatobia Fire Department dispatched crews to the scene at 4:58 a.m. upon detecting smoke within the building, and they successfully extinguished the flames.

The fire comes in the wake of recent controversies surrounding the police department. In June, an officer shot and killed 1-year-old Kohen Wiley in a Walmart while investigating a shoplifting call. Kohen's mother and her friend, who were seriously injured, denied having stolen anything. No charges have been filed against them. Subsequently, The New York Times, Mississippi Today, and Verite News reported that the police chief had used racist slurs in private text messages, leading to his firing in September.

The officer involved in the shooting resigned earlier this month, though he was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the Mississippi Attorney General's office after concluding that his use of force was justified.