Update: July 9, 2025, 3:05 PM
Dante Romearo Smith was arrested on May 23, 2022, by Heard County deputies after a call came in about a domestic issue involving a stabbing. When deputies arrived, they found Dante Smith’s grandfather bleeding from a stab wound. Smith was arrested and charged with aggravated assault under the Family Violence Act. Smith’s grandfather was transported by helicopter to a hospital where he received medical treatment. Dante Smith was 24 years old at the time of the 2022 incident. The weapon of choice is a particularly noteworthy detail.
Update: July 9, 2025, 1:04 AM
The man killed in Tuesday’s officer-involved shooting has been identified as Dante Romearo Smith, 28, of Bowdon, Georgia. According to a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Smith charged at the DNR agent with a knife before being shot as he neared the officer. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy will be conducted at the GBI Crime Lab. Special Agent Mary Chandler of the GBI is leading the investigation.
For an inside look at Smith’s final days and the Facebook posts that reveal his mental state, see our story In His Own Words: Smith’s Facebook Posts Reveal a Mind at Odds with Reality and the Law.
A man was shot and killed Tuesday afternoon in a hay field at the corner of Brent Road and U.S. Highway 341 in Lamar County after allegedly threatening a Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officer with a knife.
According to residents in the area, a man had been walking west along Brent Road toward Highway 341 and had already drawn attention from neighbors for suspicious behavior. At least one resident reportedly notified authorities.
When officers arrived, they encountered the man in a field just off the road. Witnesses say that during the encounter, the man pulled out a knife. One of the DNR officers fired two shots. The man died at the scene.
The deceased man’s name has not been released. However, the incident is reportedly being described as a case of “suicide by police.”
No officers were injured in the incident. The investigation is ongoing and has been turned over to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
