Court records have revealed the identity of the arsonist who set fire to the Senatobia Police Department on Halloween, as well as other details.
According to the Senatobia Police Department, the fire broke out at its headquarters around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday after a masked intruder used a hammer to break in. Once inside, the suspect, Garrick Rex Rawls, allegedly poured flammable liquid in the lobby and ignited it. An explosion followed, knocking Rawls backward and injuring his leg.
The court documents also revealed that the suspect left behind a burned Tommy Hilfiger boot, latex gloves, a gas can nozzle, and a hammer to strengthen the case against him. They also revealed that surveillance footage showed Rawls as the suspect at the scene.
Law enforcement reportedly tracked him to a hotel in Batesville before pinging his phone as he traveled to Huntsville, Ala. Through a joint effort between the Huntsville police, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Rawls was arrested on Monday. Upon taking him into custody, investigators noticed a bandage around his leg with a severe limp and no socks or shoes to match the physical evidence found at the scene.
Additionally, Rawls was found to be an active participant in protests following the death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley, who passed away from an officer-involved shooting at the Senatobia Walmart.
While the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office ruled last month that excessive force by police during the incident was justified under state law, the ripple effect of the incident has included several protests in the area and the former Senatobia police chief being fired over allegations of racist text messages. The officer who shot Wiley, Sgt. Hunter Foster, also resigned.
While no link was previously shown, the recent court documents now show Rawls at recent protests around the incident of Wiley’s death and the outrage that followed.
Rawls preliminary hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 5 at the U.S. Courthouse in Huntsville.
