Cody Rice Obituary, Death; – A Wasilla police officer has been named in connection with a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred last week, resulting in the death of a 34-year-old man.
On Tuesday morning, Alaska State Troopers identified Officer Cody Rice of the Wasilla Police Department. According to AST Spokesman Austin McDaniel, Rice has served in the department for five years.
State troopers reported that Rice shot and killed Brett George after George allegedly fired an assault rifle at Rice’s vehicle. George was reportedly attempting to evade Rice following a 911 call that indicated he was threatening family members with a weapon, as stated by the troopers.
Upon the arrival of the troopers, George donned body armor and armed himself with an assault rifle, according to the report. He then fled in his vehicle, allowing the victims to escape the residence.
Troopers confirmed that no law enforcement personnel were injured during the incident. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation will oversee the investigation, which will subsequently be reviewed independently by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions once completed.
It is noteworthy that Rice was also involved in a fatal officer-involved shooting in 2021, where three officers shot and killed a motorcyclist in Wasilla who had fled from police and allegedly reached for a BB gun, which law enforcement mistook for a real firearm.
At that time, Rice had been with the Wasilla Police Department for two years. Alaska’s News Source has reached out to the Office of Special Prosecutions for an update on their review of the 2021 shooting but had not received a response by the time of publication.