Man who fired gun into Circle K, at Cartersville police returns to prison

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. — A man who got into a shootout with officers after firing a gun into a Circle K has been sentenced to prison.

Channel 2 Action News first reported on the shooting back in Nov. 2022.

Police said Jose Rivera threw a cinderblock through the front door of a store in Cartersville where he stole a pistol. He then went to a nearby Circle K where he pointed the gun at customers and then fired the gun, according to investigators.

After Rivera left the Circle K, an officer chased after him and then Rivera turned and shot at him. The officer then shot back, hitting Rivera in the leg and foot.

The 46-year-old Rivera was then arrested after medical treatment.

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“The complete disregard shown by Rivera for the safety of civilians, and the law enforcement officer who was shot at, is inexcusable,” said Mitchell Jackson, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Cartersville Office. “This disturbing trend of attacking law enforcement officers will not be tolerated by the FBI and we will continue to work with our partners in these cases to successfully prosecute dangerous repeat offenders.”

Rivera pleaded guilty on April 26. This week, Rivera was sentenced to 18 years with four months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The U.S. Department of Justice described Rivera as a convicted felon.

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