A former deputy in South Carolina has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and assault after fatally shooting an unarmed suspect five times and allowing his police dog to attack an innocent person.
Treyvon Jonathan Sellers, who previously worked for the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on suspicion Wednesday. He had been on leave following a shooting incident on May 26 and was terminated in July due to an unrelated domestic violence arrest.
On Thursday, Sellers was awaiting a bond hearing at the Florence County jail.
The incident began when Sellers pursued 43-year-old William Dwayne Rankin, who crashed into a tree and fled into a nearby home near Florence.
Sellers entered the home through the back door with his police dog, which was not on a leash, and failed to identify himself, according to state agents. He then commanded the dog to attack without knowing who was inside. The dog ended up biting the homeowner, who had no connection to the chase and did not know Sellers.
While the dog attacked the homeowner, Sellers shot Rankin five times as he lay on a couch.
Sellers did not give the proper commands to stop the dog from attacking, resulting in the homeowner being mauled for over a minute and suffering permanent injuries to his left arm and shoulder.
At 29 years old, Sellers faces charges of voluntary manslaughter in connection with Rankin’s death, which could result in a prison sentence of two to 30 years if he is convicted. Additionally, he faces assault and battery charges related to the dog attack, which carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years upon conviction.
