On the afternoon of July 7, 2026, 19-year-old Seth Jayden Eccles of Savannah came into contact with law enforcement during an investigation into the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. Postal inspectors spoke with Eccles and later, after learning there was an active arrest warrant, officers located him again. He fled into nearby woods and was later reported as a suspicious person in backyards on Rammel Way in Avondale Estates.

At about 7:45 p.m., DeKalb County Police Officer Derrick Harris Jr. found Eccles in a backyard. According to arrest warrant affidavits, Eccles complied with verbal commands and lay face down with his hands behind his back when Harris, attempting to handcuff him while holding his firearm, discharged the weapon. Eccles was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent probe.

Officer Harris was fired, arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor reckless conduct; he was booked and released on an $11,200 bond. The case will be reviewed by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. If anyone witnessed the encounter or has information about what happened that evening, contact investigators.