South Carolina police officer charged with killing unarmed man after allowing police dog to maul another person

Columbia, South Carolina — A deputy sheriff in South Carolina has been charged with manslaughter and assault after he shot and killed an unarmed suspect five times and the deputy's 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 pursuing 43-year-old William Dwayne Rankin when he crashed into a tree and sped into a nearby home near Florence, the State Law Enforcement Division 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 inside. The dog bit the homeowner, who was not involved in the chase and did not know Sellers, agents said. CBS affiliate WBTW-TV of Florence, South Carolina, identified the homeowner as Johnny Cooper.

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 proper commands to stop attacking, and the homeowner was mauled for about 87 seconds, WBTW's statement said. He suffered 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.

WBTW quoted Florence County Sheriff TJ Joye in a statement Wednesday as saying, “I have personally met with the families of Mr. Rankin and Mr. Cooper and have spoken as openly and transparently as possible and expressed my deep regret and sadness over this incident. This incident is not representative of our values, our mission or our training.”