GBI Investigates Officer Involved Shooting in Centerville

Centerville, GA (August 8, 2025) - At the request of the Warner Robins Police Department and the Centerville Police Department, GBI agents are investigating an officer involved shooting in Centerville, GA. Michael Dwayne Bell, age 37, of Fitzgerald, GA, was shot and killed in the incident. One officer was shot and injured.

Preliminary information indicates on August 8, 2025, at about 3:45 a.m., officers from the Centerville Police Department, the Warner Robins Police Department, and the Byron Police Department came into contact with Bell in the parking lot of the Galleria Mall in Centerville, Houston County, GA. Law enforcement officers had been attempting to locate Bell regarding a domestic violence incident that previously occurred in Byron, Peach County, GA. During the encounter, Bell was told he was under arrest. Bell refused to get out of the vehicle, which was a semi-truck. Officers were attempting to enter the vehicle when Bell fired a gun from inside the vehicle. A Warner Robins PD officer was shot at this time. Officers subsequently fired into the vehicle and a standoff occurred. Officers attempted to communicate with Bell. At about 6:20 a.m., after there was no response from Bell, officers entered the vehicle and found he was dead.

The Warner Robins Police officer was taken to the Atrium Navicent Medical Center in Macon, GA to be treated for his injury. He is expected to survive. No other officers were injured during the incident.

The investigation is active and ongoing at this time. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Houston County District Attorney’s Office for review.