Suspect at center of manhunt had history of theft, violence
HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WANE) — A Huntington man who was at the center of a 20-hour police manhunt has a criminal past dating back to his childhood, according to court records. Authorities said 31-year-old Tyler Sellers fired shots at a family member’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon, triggering the search for Sellers. Late Tuesday, Huntington County issued an alert to residents about a wanted subject.
This is not Sellers’ first run-in with the law. Court documents show Sellers was sentenced to four years in prison for burglary in 2004. At that time, the judge acknowledged Sellers had a history of delinquent and criminal activity including a “quite detailed and lengthy juvenile court history,” according to court records.
He served time again in 2006 for robbery, criminal confinement and battery. According to the Herald Press, in August 2006, Sellers and another man were accused of breaking into a home, tying up two people, and robbing them at gunpoint.
According to police, Sellers led them on a high-speed chase in a stolen Chevrolet Trailblazer down U.S. 24 on Wednesday morning. When police caught up to Sellers, he reportedly turned the gun on himself. He was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and died.
Prior to the chase, police were called to the Phillips 66 convenience store at 736 S. Jefferson St. on a report of an armed robbery. Huntington Police Chief Chad Hacker said Sellers was also responsible for the incident at the gas station.
It’s still unclear what exactly led him on the violent streak earlier this week. Hacker said in a news conference that Sellers had reportedly broken up with a girlfriend recently.