Deputy Sheriff George Rice, 33, was killed on June 1, 1984, while responding to a report of a man firing at vehicles near Smith Valley School in Smith Valley, Nevada. Rice, a U.S. Air Force veteran who had served in Vietnam and had three years with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office after prior service with the Nevada Highway Patrol and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, was about 20 yards from the shooter’s house when a rifle round struck him in the head.

The suspect, identified as Jesse Marriezscerenas, had barricaded himself inside the residence and had a reported history of mental health problems. Officers and the Carson City SWAT team surrounded the house and evacuated a local high school about 500 yards away. After a standoff that continued into the night, Marriezscerenas came out and was taken into custody; he sustained an arm injury and was treated at a Reno hospital. Marriezscerenas later pleaded guilty to Rice’s murder and received life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Does anyone have memories of Deputy Rice’s service in the region or information about the events that night?