The Senatobia Police Department has been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with the arrest of a suspect last year.
A video of the arrest of Andre Burton, 33, of Senatobia, was posted on social media without context by the Senatobia Director of Public Housing accusing police officers of unnecessary use of force, according to a statement released by the Senatobia Police Department on Tuesday, May 30. The video quickly went viral after it was shared several thousand times.
Burton was stopped by police and questioned in relation to crimes that were committed earlier in the evening of April 19, 2022. Burton was charged with illegal possession of controlled substance (cocaine), profanity/drunkenness in a public place, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. He eventually pleaded guilty to those crimes in Senatobia Municipal Court.
The statement from SPD said the incident was carefully reviewed by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after SPD contacted the agency for assistance in an “effort to maintain full transparency with the public”.
The statement said the FBI concluded its investigation and no criminal charges will be brought against the officers involved in the incident.
According to the SPD statement, Burton has been arrested four additional times by Senatobia police officers since the incident on April 19, 2022, and he recently pleaded guilty to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, which subsequently violated his parole.
Burton is currently in custody and awaiting a hearing before the parole board with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, the statement said.
