A deputy-involved shooting unfolded on March 17, 2026 in Cartersville, Georgia when Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies and agents from the Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force attempted to execute an arrest warrant tied to an ongoing narcotics investigation. The operation began with a vehicle stop in the parking lot of the Days Inn motel off Highway 20 in Cartersville.
Justin Eric Hardin, age 45 of Canton drove away from the initial stop prompting a short pursuit that ended with a PIT maneuver under the overpass at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Highway 20. The SUV came to a stop beneath the bridge in this high-traffic area of Bartow County where the overpass crosses the busy highway corridor. No deputies were injured during the entire sequence that unfolded around 3 p.m.
Once the vehicle was immobilized deputies issued repeated commands for the occupants to exit. Angela Green age 44 of Acworth complied from the passenger side and was taken into custody without incident. Hardin refused to exit despite deployment of OC spray into the vehicle and the breaking of the driver’s side window by officers attempting to remove him.
The confrontation escalated rapidly beneath the I-75 overpass as Hardin produced a firearm pointed it at the deputies and fired shots toward them. Deputies returned fire striking Hardin who was pronounced dead at the scene. A large amount of suspected methamphetamine was recovered from the vehicle at the location under the overpass.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation immediately assumed independent oversight of the officer-involved shooting at the request of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office. Agents are examining the full sequence from the Days Inn parking lot stop through the pursuit and final confrontation under the Interstate 75 and Highway 20 overpass.
Preliminary findings indicate Hardin fired first prompting the deputies’ response with no other individuals injured during the incident. The investigation includes review of body-worn camera footage witness statements and physical evidence collected at the Cartersville scene.
Bartow County authorities confirmed the warrant was related to narcotics activity with Hardin as the primary target. The events that began in the Days Inn lot and concluded beneath the I-75 overpass have drawn significant attention in the Cartersville area where the intersection serves as a major gateway for traffic heading toward Atlanta and surrounding communities. No additional suspects have been identified and the probe remains focused on the actions inside the stopped SUV at the overpass location.
The Cartersville and broader Bartow County community has expressed concern over the violent outcome of the March 17 operation under the Interstate 75 and Highway 20 overpass. Local residents have noted the heavy law enforcement presence that closed the junction for several hours during the evening commute while investigators worked at the scene. The GBI has not released further details pending completion of forensic analysis and interviews but has confirmed the case centers on the drug-related warrant and the exchange of gunfire beneath the overpass.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation continues its independent review of the deputy-involved shooting at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Highway 20 in Cartersville urging anyone with information or video from the Days Inn parking lot or the overpass area to contact agents directly. The Bartow County Sheriff’s Office has extended condolences to those affected while emphasizing the isolated nature of the incident. As the investigation proceeds authorities maintain focus on transparency and thorough documentation of the events that unfolded on March 17 2026 at the Cartersville location.
