A New York City correction officer was arraigned Friday on murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the killing of an 18-year-old in the Bronx, officials said.

Middleton was arraigned on a second degree murder charge and manslaughter charges in the first and second degree in Bronx County court. Judge Jeffrey Zimmerman set bail at $1 million bond or $500,000 cash. 

According to police, the incident began early Thursday morning when a group was firing water gel pellets from the passenger's side of a vehicle with a "bead blaster," a water gun that shoots small pellets. 

Correction Officer Dion Middleton, 45, was struck by the pellets and thought he was hit by a real gun, police said, and he returned fire at the car with his gun.

Middleton struck the vehicle's back window and allegedly shot Chaluisant Raymond to death just after 1 a.m. Thursday, the NYPD said. The department added that it remains unclear how many people were in the car at the time, but there was at least one other passenger.

The correction officer's union is representing Middleton in court. The case is being prosecuted by the state attorney general's office, which handles all law enforcement-connected fatalities.

"Toy guns no longer resemble toys, as the images of this water pistol demonstrate and they remain an ongoing threat to public safety," the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association said in a statement Friday. "We will provide Officer Middleton with the best possible representation to ensure that his legal rights are protected."

Police discovered Raymond with a gunshot wound to his face near Grand Concourse and East Tremont Avenue just after 1:30 a.m., officials said. No other injuries have been reported.

The NYPD believe the shooting occurred nearly half a mile away from where they found Raymond. Investigators said they found a shell casing at the intersection of the Cross Bronx Expressway and Morris Avenue.

Middleton has served in the Department of Correction since 2013 and is currently working at the firing range at the department's academy, the agency said in a statement.

Correction Commissioner Louis Molina said in a statement Middleton is suspended without pay and faces termination if convicted.

"These very serious charges are in no way a reflection of the officers who work to keep our city safe every day," Molina said.​

On Friday, the NYPD issued a reminder on Twitter that it is a violation to possess an air rifle in New York City, including "bead blasters" that shoot gel water beads using a spring-loaded air pump.