Bartow County Man Killed in Officer-Involved Shooting During Search Warrant Execution

Bartow County, GA – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is conducting an independent investigation into an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a 39-year-old Cartersville man. No deputies were injured in the incident.

Preliminary reports indicate that around 4:50 p.m. on December 1, 2025, deputies from the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, along with GBI agents and the State Fire Marshal’s Office, executed a search warrant at a home on GA-20 Spur in Cartersville in connection with a death investigation. Upon arrival, Dylan Burl Rice refused to exit the residence. Law enforcement deployed flashbangs in an attempt to gain compliance.

Rice eventually exited the back door holding what appeared to be a shotgun or rifle. Deputies first attempted to subdue him with less-lethal foam and pepper rounds. When Rice pointed the firearm toward deputies, they discharged their weapons, fatally striking him. Investigators later determined that the firearm Rice was holding was a pellet air rifle.

An autopsy is scheduled to be completed at the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office. Once the investigation is finalized, the findings will be forwarded to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.

The GBI continues to remind the public that the investigation is active and ongoing, and additional details will be released as they become available.