.
Feedback

Police ID Man Shot, Killed by Officers

Taft Sellers was killed Monday on Duke Street in West End Alexandria.

Alexandria police have identified a man shot and killed by officers Monday on Duke Street.

Police said the incident resulted in the death of Taft Sellers, 30, of Alexandria. On Monday, police spokeswoman Ashley Hildebrandt said police were called to the 3400 block of Duke Street, near the intersection with North Quaker Lane, at approximately 2 p.m. Hildebrand said she did not know what officers encountered when they arrived on the scene but that the man, Sellers, had a gun.

Witnesses told Patch they heard multiple shots fired.

According to ABC 7 News, Sellers was a former marine sergeant who served overseas and was a 2001 graduate of T.C. Williams High School.

Per departmental policy, the officers involved in the shooting have been put on administrative leave with pay during the investigation, according to the police department. Anyone who witnessed or has information regarding the incident is asked to call the Alexandria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section at 703-746-6711.

Read more about the incident:


Police: Suspect in Fatal Police Shooting Had Gun

Mike February 20, 2013 at 12:40 am
Why is the fact that he was a Marine relevant to the story, in fact highligted, unless you're attempting to profile vets? Shame on you.
CMurphy February 20, 2013 at 04:14 pm
The highlight is a hyperlink taking us to the WaPo story. Revealing the profession of a suspect is not uncommon at all. And his former profession is very germane in this case.... it's no secret that returning vets can suffer from PTSD and can develop other issues that make it hard for them to return to civilian life. Who knows whether that played a significant role? But ignoring it isn't the right thing to do either. Plus, the Patch is here to shed light on local issues, and what's more relevant than the identity and background of a life-long resident who was just shot and killed by police?
beth n February 24, 2013 at 05:32 am
The REAL question here is WHY did the Alexandria Police shoot and kill this man? As usual, the cops won't release any info or story. For all we know the cops just rolled up and executed the guy. Alexandria is becoming more like Mexico.
Kareem H. February 25, 2013 at 07:17 am
Did you notice they said he had a gun, but not that he was a felon with a gun . This is va if u don't have a felony you can have a gun as long as it can be seen . And I don't know to many vets that don't have guns that the keep on them

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from West End Alexandria Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
John Smith June 13, 2013 at 05:57 pm
And do we carry our groceries out of the store in a "bag" or in a "sack"?
Scooby's Doo June 13, 2013 at 06:00 pm
We put the bags in a buggy.
Jonathan Krall April 15, 2013 at 03:14 pm
Jim, Thanks for speaking up about this. I sent in the following comment: To:Read More lisa.jaatinen@alexandriava.gov Dear Ms. Jaatinen, I am writing about the Eisenhower widening project. I am a resident of Alexandria who often rides along Eisenhower by bicycle and who sometimes uses the Eisenhower Metro Station. I am concerned that Alexandria is trying to have it both ways with cars and transit by trying to add both pavement and transit lines. This is is a wasteful strategy in terms of money and public safety. From where I sit, it seems that this have-it-both-ways approach is the reason that city staff is resistant to bike lanes or even bike parking. My points: - If we are going to widen Eisenhower Ave, we need bike lanes and sidewalks that will deliver people to high-capacity transit. - Even if VDOT provides part of the money for this project, we do not need to spend tax dollars adding traffic lanes that will fill with cars right away and are expensive to maintain. - Expanding Eisenhower Ave from four to six lanes right next to the Eisenhower Ave Metro Station makes walking to the station less safe and less attractive. - We need better quality of life and more fiscal responsibility, not more of our valuable land allocated gridlocked cars. Thank you for your time and attention. Jonathan Krall [address/phone]
D April 4, 2013 at 05:21 pm
This is an interesting opinion piece, but it needs way more context. Could the Patch (or the author)Read More provide some articles and/or links?