Manuel 'Tortuguita' Teran remembered: Vigil for 'Stop Cop City' protester killed in 'clearing operation'
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - It has been one year since 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, who was known as Tortuguita by friends and family, was shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol troopers near the site of the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Teran was among the protesters in the South River Forest Basin protesting the development of what critics call Cop City.
Several dozen people gathered at Gresham Park, located about two miles east of where Teran was shot by a trooper, for vigil.
Teran’s mother addressed the crowd, telling those in attendance that she lost a child but gained thousands more.
Others also shared their memories of Teran, surrounded by tributes and candles next to a makeshift memorial.
Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Teran killed during ‘clearing operation’ of ‘Cop City’
During the early morning hours of Jan. 18, 2023, a joint task force consisting of the GBI, Atlanta Police Department, Georgia Attorney General’s Office, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, FBI, DeKalb County Police Department, Department of Natural Resources, and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, entered the forest around Intrenchment Creek to disassemble 25 campsites in the area.
'Cop City' 'clearing operation' turns violent; injuries trooper, protester dies
A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot and a protestor killed during what the GBI director called a "clearing operation" at the controversial "Cop City," the future home of the Atlanta Police Department’s first responder training facility.
When they approached the tent Teran had been staying in, investigators say the protester opened fire with a handgun he had purchased, striking the trooper in the "pelvic area." The trooper was wearing a bullet-proof vest and survived.
Troopers then opened fire, shooting Teran several times. The official autopsy conducted by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office said Teran was shot 13 times by multiple different guns.
A photo of Teran’s gun was quickly released by investigations and the GBI released records that show Teran legally bought the gun in 2020. The GBI said fragments from the gun match ballistics tests of the firearm.
Trooper shot, protestor killed near planned Atlanta police training facility ‘Cop City’
A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot and a protestor killed during what the GBI director called a "clearing operation" at the controversial "Cop City," the future home of the Atlanta Police Department’s first responder training facility.
Manuel Teran's family disputes official story
However, lawyers for Teran’s family point to statements made by Atlanta police officers in the videos that were released which suggest there was friendly fire.
The family’s independent autopsy report concluded Teran’s hands were raised and facing multiple individuals at the time of the shooting.
"Both Manuel’s left and right hands show exit wounds in both palms. The autopsy further reveals that Manuel was most probably in a seated position, cross-legged when killed," the family’s attorney expressed in a release in March 2023.
The GBI said Teran did not comply with officers’ orders, leading to an "exchange of gunfire," first striking a Georgia State Trooper, who survived.
Atlanta police bodycam footage captures audio of Manuel Teran's shooting
Atlanta police released bodycam footage that shows officers clearing out part of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Suddenly, the officers heard rapid fire gunshots. Authorities say this audio captures the shooting between Georgia State Patrol and protestor Manuel Teran. Note: The Georgia State Patrol does not wear body cameras and does not visually show the shooting. This video was captured by the Atlanta Police Department.
With no body camera video, activists and family members say they are skeptical of that narrative.
The Georgia State Patrol, as a rule, does not have body-worn cameras recording encounters, only dash cams. The exception is for troopers in Jekyll Island and at the Georgia Capitol.
No charges have been brought against the trooper.
Who was Manuel Teran aka Tortugita?
Manuel Teran’s mother, Belkin Teran, describes her child as a scholar and environmentalist who was an intellectual and had good manners.
The protester's mother says he was very active in several international environmental programs and was there to defend the forest.
Joel Paez described his child as someone who was also caring for others, including those who were indigent or homeless.
"Manuel was the one who will stop in the middle of the street and give $100 to a needy person," he said.
"I don't really have many friends, and I was just fine with Manny, even though I had to share Manny to their cause. I loved him so much, and now my family is being put through this," said the protester's brother.
Teran was one of dozens of activists who had been occupying the site in tents and tree houses to stop the construction of the training center because they believe the forest space is critical – and the training center will further what they call cops’ "urban warfare tactics" toward the public.
What is the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center?
In addition to classrooms and administration buildings, the proposed $90-million police and firefighter training center would include a shooting range, a driving course to practice chases, and a "burn building" for firefighters to work on putting out fires. A "mock village" featuring a fake home, convenience store, and nightclub would also be built for authorities to rehearse raids.
Atlanta police chief weighs in on training center debate
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaurm is speaking out following a recent effort by Atlanta City Council members Keisha Waites and Iliana Bahktiari to introduce legislation that would allow Atlanta residents to vote on whether to build a new public safety training center.
The 85-acre property is owned by the city of Atlanta but is located just outside the city limits in unincorporated DeKalb County, and includes a former state prison farm.
Police officials say the state-of-the-art campus would replace substandard offerings and boost police morale, beset by hiring and retention struggles in the wake of violent protests against racial injustice after George Floyd’s death in 2020.