A former deputy in South Carolina, Treyvon Jonathan Sellers, has been arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter and assault following a disturbing incident. Sellers fatally shot an unarmed suspect, William Dwayne Rankin, five times, and his police dog attacked an innocent bystander, as reported by authorities.
Sellers was on leave at the time of the May 26 shooting and was later terminated in July due to an unrelated domestic violence arrest. The State Law Enforcement Division stated that Sellers was pursuing Rankin, who crashed into a tree and sought refuge in a nearby home near Florence. Allegedly, Sellers entered the residence through the back door with his unleashed police dog without identifying himself.
According to the sworn statement by state agents, Sellers commanded the dog to attack without verifying the occupant’s identity. As a result, the homeowner, who had no involvement in the chase and was unfamiliar with Sellers, was bitten by the dog during the chaos. Additionally, Sellers shot Rankin five times as the suspect laid on a couch. It was reported that Sellers failed to control the dog and stop the attack promptly, leading to severe and lasting injuries to the homeowner’s arm and shoulder.
Former deputy Sellers, aged 29, could face serious consequences for his actions. He has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in Rankin’s death, carrying a potential sentence of two to 30 years in prison upon conviction. Furthermore, he faces assault and battery charges of a high and aggravated nature in connection with the dog attack, with a maximum penalty of 20 years if found guilty.
Records show that Sellers worked for less than two years with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office before his dismissal. He was scheduled for a bond hearing at the Florence County jail to address the charges brought against him. However, it was not mentioned in jail records whether he had legal representation at the time of his arrest.
