Fatal deputy shooting under I-75 overpass part of drug investigation: GBI
Authorities investigate after a Bartow County deputy shot and killed Justin Eric Hardin under the I-75 overpass in Cartersville on March 17, 2026. (FOX 5 News)
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is reviewing an officer-involved shooting that left a Canton man dead following a pursuit and exchange of gunfire under the Interstate 75 overpass in Cartersville on Tuesday afternoon.
Deadly confrontation under I-75
What we know:
The incident started around 3 p.m. when Bartow County deputies and Bartow Cartersville Drug Task Force agents tried to serve an arrest warrant on Justin Eric Hardin of Canton.
Authorities tried to pull Hardin over in the Days Inn parking lot off Highway 20 in Cartersville, but he fled in an SUV, according to the GBI.
After a brief chase, a deputy performed a PIT maneuver on the SUV Hardin was driving under the I-75 overpass on Highway 20.
While a woman named Angela Green, 44, of Acworth exited the passenger seat and was apprehended, Hardin remained in the vehicle, the GBI said.
Deputies deployed OC spray to get him to come out, and when that didn’t work, officers broke the driver’s side door.
While doing this, Hardin allegedly pulled out a gun and shot at law enforcement.
Deputies returned fire, killing Hardin.
Afterward, law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a large amount of methamphetamine, officials said.
Green was taken to the Bartow County Detention Center.
Traffic headache
Local perspective:
Law enforcement officers remained on the scene throughout the evening, placing crime tape around several vehicles located under the overpass.
RELATED: Cartersville shooting: Deputy opens fire near Highway 20 overpass
Traffic in the area was diverted to I-75 North and South while the intersection was closed.
Next steps in GBI probe
What's next:
The GBI's Medical Examiner’s Office will perform Hardin’s autopsy.
An independent investigation is ongoing.
The Bartow County District Attorney’s Office will review the case once an investigation is completed.
What we don't know:
The deputies who shot Hardin have not been publicly identified.
Authorities did not say what Green is charged with.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and prior FOX 5 reporting.