On February 17, 2013, 30-year-old Taft Sellers, a former Marine and T.C. Williams High School graduate, was shot and killed by police after a domestic disturbance at an Alexandria, Virginia apartment complex. Sellers’ sister had called police earlier that day reporting he was armed following an argument; she said he had not made threats. Officers found Sellers in a stairwell where he concealed himself behind a wall and, according to reports, refused repeated commands to show his hands. The standoff escalated when he allegedly pointed a fully loaded gun at officers.

Seven officers fired a total of 37 rounds from handguns, a shotgun, and a rifle; Sellers was struck five times in the head and abdomen and pronounced dead at the scene. He did not fire his weapon. Investigators later noted emails Sellers sent that day suggesting suicidal thoughts and that he had a history of treatment for depression. The Commonwealth’s Attorney cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, and an internal police inquiry found their actions reasonable and in compliance with department policy.