Wasilla officer identified in fatal police shooting involving man with body armor

WASILLA, Alaska (KTUU) - A Wasilla police officer has been named in a recent officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a 34-year-old man, Brett George. The Alaska State Troopers identified Officer Cody Rice, who has served with the department for five years, as the officer involved in the incident.

The events unfolded after a 911 call reported that George was threatening family members with a weapon. State troopers say that George, while fleeing from Rice, fired an assault rifle at the officer's car. In response, Rice shot and killed George, who was reportedly wearing body armor at the time and had armed himself for the confrontation.

Fortunately, no law enforcement personnel were injured during this incident. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation is currently conducting an investigation into the shooting, which will subsequently be reviewed by the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions for an independent analysis.

This isn't the first incident for Officer Rice, who was also involved in a fatal shooting in 2021. During that incident, multiple officers shot and killed a motorcyclist who had fled from police and allegedly reached for a BB gun, which was mistaken for a firearm.

As of the time of publication, inquiries made to the Office of Special Prosecutions regarding the outcome of the 2021 shooting review had not received a response.