Review board finds Orlando officers justified in shooting that killed armed veteran

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Citizen’s Review Board has approved the findings from an internal investigation from 2021.

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Police said in August of that year, the crisis hotline got a call from 73-year-old Vietnam veteran William Sellers asking for help.

When officers arrived, they said he had a gun in his hand and when he wouldn’t put it down, four officers opened fire.

The board reviews policies and procedures within the department concerning use of force and police conduct. They then present their findings to the chief of police.

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In this case, they were concerned if mental health procedures were followed.

The board approved the findings Wednesday of an internal investigation that found four officers’ actions were justified.

During the meeting Wednesday, board members heard from Orlando police Sergeant April McConnel who discussed what mental health policies were in motion at the scene that day.

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She said one of the officers on the scene was trained in crisis intervention and was speaking to Sellers.

She also said a crisis negotiation team was called and was on the way to the home, but the situation escalated before they were able to get there.

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Some board members questioned why Orlando’s community response team, who are behavioral health experts, weren’t called there instead.

The officers were already cleared by internal affairs. No matter the findings, the citizen’s review board has no power to discipline.

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