There will be no criminal charges for the Georgia State Patrol troopers who shot and killed an activist protesting the construction of Atlanta’s public safety training center in January.
According to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the district attorney pro tempore for the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit George said the use of of lethal force by the troopers against Manuel Teran was “objectlvely reasonable under the circumstances of the case.”
Teran, 26, was shot and killed on Jan. 18 during an operation by local and state law enforcement to clear the property – dubbed “Cop City” by opponents – in south DeKalb County of protesters who were camping there.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation report, Teran sustained 57 gunshot wounds. Troopers said Teran pulled a gun and shot first, wounding an officer. There was no body camera footage of the incident.
The GBI said that Teran, known to friends as “Tortuguita,” legally purchased a handgun in 2020.
The Vote to Stop Cop City coalition released this statement on social media following the announcement:
From the start, the state’s response to Tortuguita’s murder has been to lie and cover up the facts. Today’s announcement ruling the killing as “reasonable” is just the latest in a long line of changing stories and withholding evidence.
Tortuguita’s memory and the memories of all those stolen by police killings demand that we all continue the collective struggle for a future without state violence.
In their name, we fight to Stop Cop City and build a better world.
Since Teran’s death, more than 60 “Cop City” activists have been indicted on RICO and domestic terrorism charges.
Opponents also mounted a petition drive, gathering more than 100,000 signatures to put the training center on the ballot for voters to decide. The referendum is in limbo awaiting guidance from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.