Death by Cop 2021-2025
Search fatalities
You can use any or all of the fields to refine the search.
William Guy Sellers
Age : 73
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 08/12/2021
Location : 3141 Cashmere Drive
City : Orlando
County : Orange
State : Florida
Agency : Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff's Office
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Suicide
Event : Suicide under police duress
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/12/2021, officers responded to a residence in the 3100 block of Cashmere Drive after a crisis hotline caller reported that 74-year-old military veteran William Sellers was suicidal and had warned that "if the police get called, there's going to be blood." Officers arrived to find Sellers standing outside his home holding a pistol. For approximately 20 minutes, Orlando police officers and Orange County sheriff's deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation, repeatedly asking Sellers to put down the gun. One deputy, who was also a military veteran, tried to establish a personal connection by telling Sellers they had both served in the military and urging him to accept help. Body-worn camera footage later released by authorities captured the repeated efforts to persuade Sellers to surrender peacefully.
After approximately 20 minutes of negotiations, Sellers made what investigators described as a threatening movement while still armed with the pistol. Four Orlando police officers and two Orange County sheriff's deputies fired their weapons, striking Sellers. He died at the scene. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the shooting, and the findings were submitted to the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office for review.
