State investigators said Seth Jayden Eccles had complied with commands before the fatal shot.
AVONDALE ESTATES, GA — A DeKalb County police officer has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct after a 19-year-old Savannah man was shot and killed Tuesday during an arrest in a backyard, state investigators said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Officer Derrick Harris Jr., 37, shot Seth Jayden Eccles on July 7 after a search tied to an armed robbery investigation involving a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. The case moved quickly from an officer-involved shooting review to criminal charges after GBI agents consulted with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. DeKalb County officials said Harris has been terminated from the police department.
Investigators said the case began earlier Tuesday afternoon, when DeKalb County police were looking into the armed robbery of a postal carrier. U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents spoke with Eccles, who was described as a person of interest. After that conversation, law enforcement allowed him to leave. Officers later found that Eccles had an active arrest warrant, though state investigators did not release details about the warrant. Agents and DeKalb officers found Eccles again, but the GBI said he ran away and hid in a wooded area nearby. Around 7 p.m., DeKalb County 911 began receiving calls about a suspicious person moving through backyards on Rammel Way in Avondale Estates.
About 45 minutes after the 911 calls began, Harris found Eccles in the backyard of a home, the GBI said. Harris gave verbal commands at gunpoint, and Eccles complied, according to the state agency. Harris then took Eccles into custody. During the arrest, Harris fired his gun, hitting Eccles, investigators said. DeKalb officers and emergency medical workers tried life-saving measures at the scene before Eccles was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No officers were injured. The GBI said Eccles’ body would be taken to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
The GBI’s statement did not say why Harris fired, whether Eccles was handcuffed, what type of weapon Harris used or whether body-camera footage captured the shooting. It also did not say whether any weapon was recovered from Eccles at the scene. Those points remain part of the active investigation. The shooting took place in a residential area, after callers reported someone moving through yards in the evening. The GBI said its findings are preliminary, a standard term the agency uses while agents continue collecting evidence, reviewing statements and examining the scene.
Harris was charged after the GBI conferred with prosecutors. Involuntary manslaughter generally involves an allegation that a death occurred during an unlawful act or through criminal negligence. Reckless conduct generally alleges that a person acted in a way that placed another person in danger. The charges are accusations, and Harris has not been convicted. State investigators said Harris would be booked into the DeKalb County Jail once he was in custody. When the GBI completes its independent investigation, the case file will be turned over to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution and review.
DeKalb police said the department was aware of the charges and confirmed Harris had been fired. Police Chief Greg Padrick said the incident had “a profound impact on everyone involved” and said his thoughts remained with Eccles’ family as they grieved. DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson called Eccles’ death a tragedy and said the criminal charges and termination reflected the county’s commitment to accountability. “We understand no one is above the law and that accountability is essential to maintaining public trust,” Cochran-Johnson said.
Records cited by local reporting show Harris first joined DeKalb police in 2014, voluntarily resigned in 2020 and returned to the department in March 2026. His termination came within months of his return. The case also adds to the number of officer-involved shootings the GBI has reviewed in Georgia this year. The agency tracks those cases statewide and had listed multiple DeKalb County incidents in 2026 before the July 7 shooting. The GBI was asked to investigate this case by the DeKalb County Police Department.
Authorities have not announced a court date for Harris or released autopsy findings for Eccles. The GBI said its investigation remains active, and prosecutors will review the completed case file after agents finish their work.
Author note: Last updated July 9, 2026.