The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into an officer-involved shooting in Bartow County that left a Cartersville man dead on Monday afternoon. The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office requested the independent investigation. No deputies were injured.
According to preliminary information, the incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. on December 1, 2025, as deputies, investigators, and members of the State Fire Marshal’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on GA-20 Spur in connection with a death investigation.
When law enforcement arrived, 39-year-old Dylan Burl Rice refused to come out of the home. Deputies deployed flashbangs in an effort to get him to comply. Rice then exited through a back door holding what appeared to be a long gun. Deputies attempted to subdue him using less-lethal foam and pepper rounds.
Investigators say Rice pointed the weapon toward deputies, prompting them to fire. Rice was shot and killed at the scene. The firearm he was holding was later determined to be a pellet air rifle.
An autopsy will be conducted at the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office.
Once the GBI’s investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.
