Current:Home > MySouth Carolina deputy charged with killing unarmed man and letting police dog maul innocent person-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
South Carolina deputy charged with killing unarmed man and letting police dog maul innocent person
View Date:2024-12-23 22:30:17
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A deputy in South Carolina has been charged with voluntary manslaughter and assault after he fatally shot an unarmed suspect five times and his police dog mauled a different, innocent person, authorities said.
State agents arrested former Florence County deputy Treyvon Jonathan Sellers on Wednesday. He was on leave after the May 26 shooting and was fired in July after an arrest in an unrelated domestic violence case.
Sellers was awaiting a bond hearing at the Florence County jail on Thursday. Jail records did not indicate if he had a lawyer.
Sellers was chasing 43-year-old William Dwayne Rankin when Rankin crashed into a tree and ran into a nearby home near Florence, the State Law Enforcement Division said in a sworn statement.
Sellers went into the home through the back door with his police dog, which was not on a leash, and didn’t announce who he was, state agents said.
He then ordered the dog to attack without knowing who was inside. The dog bit the owner of the home, who was not involved in the chase and did not know Sellers, agents said.
While the dog attacked the homeowner, Sellers shot Rankin five times as he lay on a couch, according to the sworn statement.
Sellers failed to give the dog the right commands to stop attacking, and the homeowner was mauled for more than a minute. He suffered permanent injuries to his left arm and shoulder, state agents said.
Sellers, 29, was charged with voluntary manslaughter in Rankin’s death and faces two to 30 years in prison if convicted. He was also charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature in the dog attack and faces up to 20 years if convicted.
Sellers worked with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office for less than two years before he was fired, according to his training records.
veryGood! (95856)
Related
- Horoscopes Today, November 13, 2024
- Trump Wants to Erase Protections in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, a Storehouse of Carbon
- New VA study finds Paxlovid may cut the risk of long COVID
- U.S. Coastal Flooding Breaks Records as Sea Level Rises, NOAA Report Shows
- Caitlin Clark's gold Nike golf shoes turn heads at The Annika LPGA pro-am
- Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour Style Deserves 10s, 10s, 10s Across the Board
- He woke up from eye surgery with a gash on his forehead. What happened?
- White House: Raising Coal Royalties a Boon for Taxpayers, and for the Climate
- Florida State can't afford to fire Mike Norvell -- and can't afford to keep him
- A Deeply Personal Race Against A Fatal Brain Disease
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' creator lost '8 or 9' teeth making Season 1, explains Season 2 twist
- Fossil Fuel Money Still a Dry Well for Trump Campaign
- Jewelry chain apologizes for not accepting U.S. service member's Puerto Rico driver's license as valid U.S. ID
- Twitter will no longer enforce its COVID misinformation policy
- Minnesota man is free after 16 years in prison for murder that prosecutors say he didn’t commit
- How banks and hospitals are cashing in when patients can't pay for health care
- Stop hurting your own feelings: Tips on quashing negative self-talk
- 'Sunny Makes Money': India installs a record volume of solar power in 2022
Recommendation
-
UFC 309: Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight card, odds, how to watch, date
-
Mindy Kaling Reveals Her Exercise Routine Consists Of a Weekly 20-Mile Walk or Hike
-
Special counsel Jack Smith says he'll seek speedy trial for Trump in documents case
-
Mary-Kate Olsen Is Ready for a Holiday in the Sun During Rare Public Outing
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Take the Day Off
-
Arts Week: How Art Can Heal The Brain
-
NOAA Lowers Hurricane Season Forecast, Says El Niño Likely on the Way
-
Americans with disabilities need an updated long-term care plan, say advocates