SLED: Deputy shot suspect and allowed sniffer dog to beat up passersby

FLORENCE, SC — A South Carolina deputy sheriff has been charged with manslaughter and assault after he shot an unarmed suspect five times and his police dog mauled another innocent person, authorities said.

On Wednesday, state officials arrested former Florence County Deputy Treyvon Jonathan Sellers, who was on leave following the May 26 shooting and was fired in July following his arrest in an unrelated domestic violence case.

Sellers was awaiting a bail hearing in the Florence County Jail on Thursday. Jail records did not indicate whether he had an attorney.

Sellers was chasing 43-year-old William Dwayne Rankin when he crashed into a tree and ran into a nearby home near Florence, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said in an affidavit.

Sellers entered the house through the back door with his police dog, which was not on a leash, and did not respond, state officials said.

He then ordered the dog to attack, not knowing who was in the house. 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, the affidavit states.

Sellers did not give the dog the proper commands to stop the attack, and the homeowner was mauled for over a minute, suffering permanent injuries to his left arm and shoulder, state officials said.

Sellers, 29, has been charged with manslaughter in connection with Rankin's death and faces two to 30 years in prison if convicted. He has also been charged with aggravated assault in connection with the dog attack and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

According to his training records, Sellers worked for the Florence County Sheriff's Office for less than two years before being fired.