Huntsville man charged, accused of setting fire to Mississippi police station

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - A Huntsville man is accused of setting fire to the Senatobia, Mississippi, police station early Saturday, according to a criminal complaint.

Garrick Rawls is charged with maliciously damaging or attempting to damage a building by fire or explosive, a federal offense. The complaint was sworn on Monday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Oxford, Mississippi.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Herman N. Johnson Jr. signed an order Monday for Rawls’ temporary detention, according to a court docket entry.

A preliminary and detention hearing is set for 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, at the U.S. Courthouse in Huntsville. If Rawls plans to waive the hearing, his attorney must file a written waiver at least one business day before it, the order says.

ATF Special Agent Joshua Garrett wrote in a sworn affidavit that Senatobia police and firefighters responded at around 4:35 a.m. on Saturday to a fire at the department at 114 N. Center St. in Senatobia.

Surveillance video shows a person in dark clothing, a hood, and a mask break a window with what appears to be a hammer, according to the affidavit. The person then enters the lobby and empties what appears to be a gas can, Garrett wrote.

The person leaves through the broken window and ignites the liquid, the affidavit states. The resulting explosion throws the person into the road and sets parts of the body on fire, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said they found a partially burned boot, two latex gloves, a mostly burned hammer, and a gas can nozzle near the scene.

Garrett wrote that after investigators described the suspect, several people directed law enforcement to Rawls. The affidavit describes Rawls as a civil rights activist who has been active in protests in Senatobia since the death of Kohen Wiley, a 1-year-old boy who was killed by a Mississippi police officer outside of a Walmart in June.

Investigators also cited hotel surveillance video, license plate reader data, and cell phone location data in the affidavit. According to the affidavit, T-Mobile provided location data on an emergency basis. The data showed Rawls’ phone near a cell tower in the Huntsville area.

The affidavit said Rawls is from Huntsville. ATF agents from Oxford and Huntsville conducted surveillance at a Huntsville-area property Monday morning. At about 9:20 a.m., agents said they saw Rawls leave a nearby home with a large white bandage on his right leg and a noticeable limp.

Senatobia Police Chief Lamorris Hampton told Garrett the fire shut down the department for an extended time during the investigation because of manpower issues and managing the scene, according to the affidavit.

Below is the full federal complaint against Garrick Rawls:

Huntsville man charged in Mississippi police station fire, federal complaint says by WAFF 48 News

Previous coverage on Garrick Rawls:

In 2019, Huntsville police arrested Rawls and two other people on disorderly conduct charges after a brief “die-in” protest during the Huntsville Veterans Day parade. Police said the protesters laid in the parade route on Monroe Street for about 10 seconds before they were taken into custody. Protesters said the demonstration was held over the fatal shooting of Dana Fletcher by Madison police.

In 2021, Huntsville police arrested Rawls on a disorderly conduct charge after a group was escorted out of a Huntsville City Council meeting. Family members of people killed in police incidents had been demanding the release of body camera footage during that meeting.

Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!