A DeKalb County police officer was arrested Thursday in connection with the fatal shooting of a Savannah teen.
Derrick Harris Jr., 37, was charged with reckless conduct and felony involuntary manslaughter for killing Seth Jayden Eccles, 19, during an arrest on the evening of July 7. Harris was released Thursday morning after less than an hour in jail.
Harris was fired from the DeKalb County Police Department on Thursday. In a statement, Police Chief Greg Padrick extended thoughts and prayers to Eccles’ family as they mourn their loss.
A spokesperson for the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that the office has been in constant communication with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, we all agreed there was probable cause to obtain warrants for the arrest of former officer Derrick Harris Jr.,” the spokesperson said.
Officials said U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents who were investigating the armed robbery of a mail carrier had interviewed Eccles earlier in the afternoon on July 7 and allowed him to leave. They later realized he had a warrant for his arrest and, with the help of DeKalb police, located Eccles who fled into a wooded area.
Around 7:45 p.m., Harris responded to 911 calls reporting a suspicious person moving through backyards in Avondale Estates. Officials said once Harris found Eccles and gave him verbal commands at gunpoint, Eccles complied and was taken into custody.
Details from the warrant application reveal GBI agents believe Harris unintentionally shot Eccles, who was unarmed and lying face down with his hands behind his back. The agent told the judge that Harris was attempting to handcuff Eccles with one hand, while he had his other hand, with the gun, at Eccles’ back.
“They shot my baby while he was handcuffed and in the back. He didn’t see it coming and did what I asked. Comply. I’m hurting so bad right now,” Eccles’ mother, Jasmine, wrote in a Facebook post the day after he was killed.
In a statement Wednesday, DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson called Eccles’ death a tragedy and said the county is committed to transparency and integrity.
“My heartfelt condolences are with his family and loved ones as they navigate an unimaginable loss. Today’s criminal charges and the termination of our officer reflect our commitment to accountability. We understand no one is above the law and that accountability is essential to maintaining public trust,” she said.
While Harris is not the first DKPD officer to be charged for shooting an unarmed man, it is not the norm in police shootings.
Data collected between 2013 and 2025 by Mapping Police Violence Inc. found that across the country, 98.2% of police killings haven’t led to the officer facing any criminal charges.
Georgia-specific data is much harder to find because law enforcement departments are not required to participate in the FBI’s National Use-of-Force Database. For the most recent available reporting period, May 2026, 55 of Georgia’s 771 law enforcement agencies participated. All reported zero use-of-force incidents.
DKPD is on the list of participating agencies for 2026; however, it isn’t documented which months they have participated.
Earlier this year during the annual report, the department reported 190 use-of-force investigations, 55 formal complaints, and 306 informal complaints. The number of investigations that were closed, nor their outcomes, was reported.
A GBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency aims to have officer-involved shooting investigations to the district attorney’s office within 90 days but could not offer a specific timeframe related to this investigation.
Since the investigation into the shooting death of Eccles is still open, the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment further on the case.
“Once [the GBI] investigation is complete, [they] will turn their case file over to our office, and we will conduct our own independent investigation of the facts. Only then, will our office make a determination on formal charges for indictment purposes,” a spokesperson for the DeKalb DA’s Office said in an email.
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Correction: Derrick Harris Jr. worked for the DeKalb County Police Department at the time of the fatal shooting of Seth Jayden Eccles. An earlier headline misidentified the police department.
