ATLANTA – Georgia state troopers who shot and killed an environmental activist at the site of a planned police and fire training center near Atlanta will not be charged, a prosecutor announced Friday, saying he found that their use of deadly force was “objectively reasonable.”
Opponents of the center, which derisively refers to it as “Cop City,” have camped out in the 85-acre (34-hectare) forested area being developed for the massive facility. It was there that Manuel Paez Terán, 26, was killed on January 18.
Mount George Christian Judicial Circuit District Attorney has been appointed to review the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s file on the shooting. Along with the statement announcing his decision, Christian released a 31-page report detailing his analysis. He refused to release the underlying evidence, however, angering the family.
State troopers were part of what authorities described as an “enforcement operation” at the site when they found Paez Terán, known as Tortuguita. When the activist refused to leave the tent, soldiers fired pepper spray and Paez Terán responded by firing a gun four times through the tent, hitting and seriously injuring one soldier, the release said. Six soldiers returned fire, killing Paez Terán.
Brian Spears, an attorney for the family, called Christian’s report “a rubber stamp of the GBI’s version of events without any critical analysis.”
Demonstrators march near Atlanta police during a protest over plans to build a new police training center, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Atlanta.AP
The trooper who fired at Paez Terán was not wearing a body camera, and Paez Terán’s family and other activists have expressed skepticism from the start about law enforcement’s statements about the shooting.
Specifically, they have shown the results of an independent autopsy commissioned by the family that concluded the activist was sitting cross-legged with his hands in the air at the time of the shooting. Separately, the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office said the activist’s body had at least 57 gunshot wounds. The coroner also said gunpowder residue was “not visible” on Paez Terán’s hand, although investigators said forensic tests later “revealed the presence of particles characteristic of gunshot primary residue.”
Protesters also singled out the comments of a responding officer who, seemingly responding to radio traffic, had said, “You (expletive) your own officer.” Activists have said on social media that it backs up claims made by some from earlier that the soldier was shot by friendly fire. Christian’s report said the bullet that wounded the soldier came from Paez Terán’s gun.
Noah Gringi holds a sign at a press conference for Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in Decatur, Ga., on Feb. 6, 2023.AP
The killing of Paez Terán was a happy moment for the “Stop Cop City” movement, with activists around the world holding vigils and painting murals in honor of Tortuguita, who his friends say is dedicated to helping others and protecting the environment. Three days after the killing, a group of masked protesters set police cars on fire and stormed the entrance to the downtown skyscraper that houses the Atlanta Police Foundation, the nonprofit that built the training center.
Several other acts of vandalism have occurred since then, including storming a construction site in March, an event that led to dozens of domestic violence charges. In late August, Georgia Republican Attorney General Chris Carr obtained racketeering indictments against 61 people associated with the movement.
In a report released Friday, Christian named the national soldiers who opened fire on Paez Terán: Mark Lamb, Jonathan Salcedo, Bryland Myers, Ronaldo Kegel, Royce Zah and Jerry Parrish. He identified Parrish as the soldier shot and wounded by Paez Terán.
Vienna holds a photo of their slain partner, Tortuguita, in Atlanta on Jan. 26, 2023. AP
The report said officers from multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation to remove trespassers from the property, which is owned by the city of Atlanta, and to remove the encampment. Activists at the site have “harassed and intimidated” contractors working at the site and “have committed a crime,” he said.
The GBI briefed all participating officers before they went out into the wooded area, telling them that people at the site were previously known to have firearms and that one officer had been confronted by someone carrying a rifle and a handgun at one point. Officers were also warned about explosive devices and booby traps allegedly found on the property and were told that members of the public had previously thrown rocks and fireworks at officers, the report said.
Also according to reports, when the first two soldiers arrived at Paez Terán’s tent, the tent door flap was open about a foot (30 centimeters) and the soldiers saw movement inside. A soldier identified himself as a policeman and told Paez Terán to get out of the tent. After a minute or two, it became clear that the activist would not come out, and Paez Terán opened the tent lid.
One of the soldiers radioed for a pepper ball launcher to be brought in, and in the meantime kept telling Paez Terán to get out. When more soldiers arrived, Paez Terán opened part of the tent and told the soldiers he was not coming out and wanted them to leave before closing the tent again. That’s when one of the soldiers warned Paez Terán he was going to use a chemical agent and started shooting pepper balls into the tent.
Within seconds, Paez Terán began firing at the soldiers from inside the tent, the report said. The military returned fire. They reported hearing loud explosions and seeing white smoke coming from the front of the tent, leading them to believe Paez Terán had used an explosive device.
The military personnel involved said they clearly identified themselves as police and told Paez Terán to get out several times. They said they told him he was trespassing and was arrested and warned him before using the pepper balls. Another official confirmed hearing the soldiers identify themselves and issue a warning.
Christian, citing the ongoing Carr racketeering case, said no other records would be released at this time. Spears denied it. He said there was “no possible reasonable excuse” not to release all the records given that the Christian investigation was complete.
Paez Terán’s mother, Belkis Terán, echoed those views in a written statement.
“We have been waiting eight months for the truth,” he wrote. “We are in pain. We want to hear the interview. We want our experts to review the lab tests. We want our questions answered. This report does not answer our questions. How long do we have to wait?”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
