At the request of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Bartow County that left one man dead. Authorities said no deputies were injured.

Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 4:50 p.m. on December 1, 2025, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies and investigators, along with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, executed a search warrant at a home on GA-20 Spur in Cartersville. The warrant was served in connection with a death investigation. Investigators said the man inside the home, identified as Dylan Burl Rice, 39, of Cartersville, refused to exit.

Law enforcement deployed flashbangs into the residence, and Rice later exited through the back door holding what appeared to be a shotgun or rifle, according to investigators. Deputies attempted to use less-lethal options, including foam and pepper rounds, but authorities said Rice then pointed the weapon toward deputies. Deputies fired, and Rice was shot and killed at the scene.

Investigators later determined the weapon Rice was holding was a pellet air rifle.

An autopsy will be performed by the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be turned over to the Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for review.