Bodycam video released of fatal shooting involving Florence County deputy

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — WARNING: The content of the videos may be disturbing to some. The viewer should exercise caution before watching the videos.

The Florence County Sheriff's Office has released bodycam and dashcam footage from a fatal police officer-involved shooting in May.

The shooting occurred on May 26 after a chase off National Cemetery Road. The suspect, William Dwayne Rankin, ran into a residence off National Cemetery Road after wrecking his vehicle. Arrest warrants show that Deputy Treyvon Jonathan Sellers, 29, pursued Rankin into the residence and shot him five times. Rankin later died in the hospital.

The innocent homeowner was attacked by a police dog. According to arrest warrants, Sellers failed to give proper commands to subdue the dog and the man suffered permanent injuries.

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The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Sellers with manslaughter, aggravated assault and abuse of office.

Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye asked SLED to investigate the incident.

Sheriff Joye placed Sellers on administrative leave after the shooting, but fired him last month following a domestic violence investigation in Darlington County.

On Friday, the Sheriff's Office released the following statement along with two links to the videos, which viewers can watch at their leisure below.

Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye is keeping his promise of openness and transparency by releasing dashboard camera and body-worn camera video related to the May 26, 2024, shooting involving a Florence County police officer. The deceased's family had previously asked that the videos not be made public. “Now that the investigation is complete, the family no longer objects to the release of the videos,” the press release said.