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(SAVANNAH, GA.) — A now-former Georgia police officer has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after he accidentally discharged his weapon during an arrest, fatally shooting a teenager he was attempting to handcuff, according to court filings.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) filed criminal charges against Derrick Harris Jr., 37, who was an officer with the DeKalb County Police Department, on Wednesday, a day after the deadly shooting.

The teen — 19-year-old Seth Jayden Eccles, of Savannah — was shot Tuesday evening in the backyard of a home in Avondale Estates, according to GBI.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents had questioned him earlier that afternoon regarding the armed robbery of a mail carrier, according to GBI. Law enforcement later learned he had an active arrest warrant and began searching for Eccles, who allegedly hid in nearby woods after being allowed to walk away following questioning, according to GBI.

After multiple 911 callers reported a suspicious person moving through the backyards of homes in Avondale Estates, Harris located Eccles in a backyard of a home, according to GBI.

Harris gave the teen verbal commands at gunpoint and Eccles complied, according to GBI. The teen was lying on his stomach as Harris attempted to take him into custody, with the officer holding a firearm in one hand at the teen’s back and handcuffs in the other, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.  

“During the process of attempting to handcuff Eccles, Harris accidentally fired his firearm,” the affidavit stated. “This accidental discharge resulted in the injury and death of Eccles.”

Eccles was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, GBI said.

Harris has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony, and reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, according to court filings.

A second arrest warrant affidavit alleges that Harris was “consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk” and that his actions “constituted a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation.”

The investigation remains ongoing. Once complete, the case will be presented to the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution and review, GBI said.

Harris was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Thursday. His bond was set at $10,000 and he has since bonded out, jail records show. Online court records do not list any attorney information for him. ABC News’ attempts to reach him over the phone were unsuccessful.

Following the charges on Wednesday, the DeKalb County Police Department said that Harris has been terminated due to “violations of laws.”

“This incident has had a profound impact on everyone involved. My thoughts and prayers remain with the family of Seth Jayden Eccles as they continue to grieve this tragic loss,” DeKalb County Police Chief Greg Padrick said in a statement. “This has also been a difficult time for the members of our department. The men and women of the DeKalb County Police Department remain committed to serving our community with professionalism, integrity, and compassion, and they will continue to serve the people of DeKalb County with honor, service, and partnership each and every day.”

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson called Eccles’ death a “tragedy.”

“My heartfelt condolences are with his family and loved ones as they navigate an unimaginable loss,” she said in a statement on Wednesday. “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.”

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(CHESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J.) — More than one month after a New Jersey mom was killed in her suburban home, prosecutors say no arrests have been made.

Brooke Hanlon, 35, was found dead in her house in Chester Township after officers responded to a 911 call in the late afternoon of June 6, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Her death was ruled a homicide from “multiple sharp force injuries,” prosecutors said.

Hanlon is survived by her husband and baby daughter, according to Fox News Digital.

Hanlon’s sister, Paige Haggerty, told Fox News Digital that “Brooke was the sweetest, purest person that I have ever known in my entire life,” and she called Hanlon’s baby “the only saving grace.”

The 35-year-old worked as a therapist in Bernardsville, New Jersey, according to LifeStance.

“We are deeply saddened at the passing of our teammate Brooke Hanlon,” a LifeStance spokesperson told ABC News in a statement. “Brooke was a beloved member of our Bernardsville team and an exceptional therapist who was highly dedicated to her clients. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Brooke’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Prosecutors said the case is active and ongoing.

Officials urge anyone with information to call the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at 973-285-2900, Chester Police at 908-879-5100 or CrimeStoppers at 973-267-2255. A reward up to $1,000 is available, Morris County Sheriff’s CrimeStoppers said.

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(NEW YORK) — A man was arrested after he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at two different houses of worship and another building in Queens Wednesday night, the New York City Police Department said.

Officers responded to a 911 call at Iglesia Bautista El Mesias Church in Ozone Park around 11:35 p.m. about a man allegedly throwing the incendiary device, according to the NYPD.

Surveillance footage showed the suspect lighting the Molotov cocktail and then throwing it at the church before walking away after it exploded on the ground, police said.

The New York City Fire Department put out the fire. No one was hurt and there was no significant damage to the building, according to the police.

Alex Garcia, the pastor of the church, told ABC News’ New York City affiliate WABC that the house of worship has been around for 20 years.

“We have no enemies, so I don’t know where this is coming from,” he told the station.

The suspect, who police only identified as a 36-year-old man, then allegedly traveled a mile north to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and allegedly lit and threw another Molotov cocktail at the house of worship, according to investigators.

There were no reported damage or injuries at that location, police said.

The suspect was arrested by police later in the night, according to the NYPD.

Investigators discovered that he allegedly threw another Molotov cocktail at a third location in the area, according to the NYPD. That building also sustained no damage, and there were no injuries, investigators said.

Police alleged that the suspect had a bag with two other Molotov cocktails inside at the time of his arrest.

The suspect’s charges and arraignment were pending as of Thursday morning, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

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(PIKESVILLE, Md.) — Over 30 people were injured after a public transit bus crashed into a building in Maryland on Wednesday in an incident that involved multiple vehicles, authorities said.

The incident occurred in Pikesville, located northwest of Baltimore, just outside the city limits.

A Maryland Transit Administration bus collided with a building, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department. Seven other vehicles were also involved, including one that rolled over, it said.

Overall, at least 33 people were injured, including one critically, authorities said. Two people were temporarily trapped, one in the bus and another in a vehicle, the fire department said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he is monitoring the situation.

“We are deeply grateful for our first responders who acted with speed and skill to ensure the safety of our neighbors,” he said in a post on social media. “We’ve been in close coordination with local officials to provide any support needed on the ground.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Twenty-five years after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, left a gaping void in Lower Manhattan, American Express broke ground Thursday on its new headquarters, a tiered glass and steel tower at 2 World Trade Center.

The 55-story, 2 million square foot building with more than an acre of outdoor terraces and gardens is the last commercial development in the footprint of the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center. 

The skyscraper is scheduled to be completed in 2031 and rise 1,226 feet.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the project will create 3,200 jobs and inject $6 billion into the city’s economy.

“We are standing today on hallowed ground,” Mamdani said. 

“This has been a long journey,” said Lisa Silverstein of Silverstein Properties, the developer of the site since 2001. “This is the capstone for the World Trade Center.”

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(OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss.) — The family of Mississippi teen Nolan Xavier Wells will conduct an independent autopsy following the 18-year-old’s mysterious death, according to attorney Ben Crump, who revealed new details about what he says unfolded on the day Wells vanished.

“He was a good kid. He was beloved. He was a college athlete. He had everything going for him. And so to go on that island … and then not to come back is what is concerning,” Crump told ABC News’ Linsey Davis.

Wells went missing on the 4th of July after going on a boat trip with his high school friends to the popular, undeveloped Horn Island, just south of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, according to officials and Crump. The location is accessible only by private boat and doesn’t have facilities, drinking water or staff.

“[The friends] left [Horn Island] and went back without Nolan,” Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said. “From what we understand, he chose to stay there.”

A body believed to be Wells was recovered Monday, officials said.

Authorities said they believe Wells drowned and don’t suspect foul play, but the sheriff’s office stressed Wednesday that investigators are “working diligently to determine exactly what occurred.”

Crump said investigators “continue to tell the family that ‘We don’t see any evidence of any foul play,’ even though you have students who recorded an altercation while they were on the boats.” Crump described the altercation as “Nolan and somebody yelling at one another on the boat.”

According to Crump, Wells’ friends took the teen’s phone with them when they left Horn Island. Crump said when Wells’ family got his phone back, messages had been deleted.

Crump also said Wells’ father described the 18-year-old college football player as “an elite athlete.”

“He said that his son could swim. And so, they’re just not accepting that Nolan drowned accidentally,” Crump said.

Crump said the independent autopsy will be conducted in Washington, D.C.

The sheriff’s office stressed Wednesday that the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone who was on or near the northwest tip of Horn Island to come forward with photos or videos, “particularly those depicting alleged altercations or containing images of, or believed to include Nolan Wells.”

The sheriff’s office said it’s also looking for anyone who may have seen Wells or “observed or heard an argument, disturbance, or other unusual activity while on the island.”

“Even information that may seem insignificant could prove valuable to investigators. We encourage anyone with firsthand knowledge to come forward,” the department said.

“Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences remain with Nolan Wells’ family during this difficult time,” the department added.

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(WASHINGTON) — Brian Cole Jr., the Virginia man charged with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, is set to go to trial in February, a federal judge said during a court hearing Wednesday. 

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali set the trial date for Feb. 16 based on a request from Cole’s lawyers, who pointed to massive tranches of evidence the government has shared with them stemming from the roughly five-year investigation into the placement of the pipe bombs. 

Cole has pleaded not guilty in the case.

The government and Cole’s attorneys said they expect the trial could take as long as two weeks. 

Both sides will next return to court on Sept. 10 for a status conference. 

On Monday, Judge Ali ruled that the sweeping clemency granted by President Donald Trump for all of the individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack does not apply to Cole.

Cole’s defense attorneys had argued that Cole should be covered by President Trump’s pardons on the basis that his actions were allegedly related to Congress’ convening of the joint session the next day.

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(HOUSTON, Texas) — A child was injured after lightning struck his Texas home and the electrical current traveled through the home’s wiring, shocking him while he used a computer, according to authorities. 

The incident occurred Tuesday in Cypress, a Houston suburb. The electrical current caused a small fire in the home’s attic, in addition to injuring the boy, according to Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.

The 14-year-old was evaluated by emergency medical services personnel at the scene and was not transported to a hospital, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

The Cypress Creek Fire Department also responded, authorities said.

The investigation remains ongoing, Herman said.

The forecast for the Houston area on Tuesday called for isolated thunderstorms and showers.

Herman issued a safety warning following the incident, saying in a statement, “During thunderstorms, avoid using corded electronics and stay away from electrical wiring and plumbing, as lightning can travel through a home’s electrical system.” 

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(NEW YORK) — New York City officials began reopening some streets and buildings in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday, after engineering crews stabilized a building that was at risk of a partial collapse due to buckling beams.

Engineers worked throughout Tuesday night and the following morning to shore up the compromised floors at 235 E. 42nd St., the former Pfizer corporate building that is currently being converted into residential apartments.

“Right now, we have been in a consistent and stable and safe situation. We have been able to bring in a plan and materials to stabilize the impact,” New York City Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said Wednesday.

The building was evacuated Tuesday morning after construction crews discovered buckling beams on the 21st floor of the 37-story building. The 21st through 26th floors began caving as a result, according to DOB.

A five-by-three-block frozen zone was established to prohibit pedestrians and vehicles around the site. Nine buildings were evacuated as crews carefully made their way into the compromised building and worked to secure it.

Emergency shoring was installed from the 18th through 23rd floors, including structural steel shoring columns on the 21st and 22nd floors, and light-duty shoring posts on four other floors, the DOB said on Wednesday.

No additional movement has been detected as of Tuesday morning, according to DOB officials.

As of Wednesday afternoon, three nearby buildings remained vacated, along with one restaurant located near the site, DOB said.

The frozen zone was also scaled back. Vehicles are prohibited from entering 42nd and 43rd streets between 2nd and 3rd avenues, the city said.

The DOB is currently conducting an investigation of the incident, which it said “will include a detailed review of all associated plans and construction documents, interviews with witnesses and responsible parties, a full inspection sweep of the entire construction site, and review of available video and photo evidence.”

MetroLoft, the developer of the conversion project, said Wednesday that it will fully rebuild the impacted areas of the building and that the building was never at risk of collapse.

“We have been working closely with the Department of Buildings to rectify the situation. Our team worked through the night stabilizing the affected columns, and the DOB has confirmed the structure is now stable,” MetroLoft said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have identified the issue and developed a clear plan to fix it. This is a localized situation affecting less than 30 apartments out of over 1,600. At no time was the building, or any portion of it, at risk of collapse.”

“We are in the process of addressing the issue and will fully rebuild this portion of the building in tandem with ongoing construction,” the statement continued. “We remain on schedule, and this work will not delay delivery of the building as it is such a small portion of the project. We are working around the clock so that operations can resume and life in the area can return to normal.”

DOB said that it ordered the building’s owner to retain a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation.

The construction project is one of the city’s largest commercial-to-residential conversions in city history, officials said.

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(WASHINGTON) — While President Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in Ankara, a federal judge in New York on Wednesday ordered him to pay what he owes E. Jean Carroll after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her.

Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered disbursement of the $5 million judgment plus almost $800,000 in interest.

A jury in a separate but related case determined Trump owes Carroll an additional $83 million in damages, but that is still going through the appeals process.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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