The environmental activist tragically shot by Georgia law enforcement in January was sitting cross-legged with their hands in the air, the protester's family revealed as they presented the results of an autopsy they commissioned on Monday.
Manuel Paez Terán's family held a press conference in Decatur to announce the results. They also stated that they would file a lawsuit under the state's open-records legislation to compel Atlanta police to divulge further information about the January 18 murder of Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita.
'Cop City' Activist's Autopsy Result
Attorneys for the family claim that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the incident for over two months and has stopped Atlanta police from providing the family with further evidence.
"Manuel was facing death with his hands raised when he was executed," said human rights attorney Brian Spears, citing autopsy findings. The FBI said it is blocking the "inappropriate dissemination of material" to maintain the investigation's integrity.
Officials said cops fired on Paez Terán after the 26-year-old shot and critically injured a state trooper when authorities evacuated protestors from a woodland in the Atlanta region where officials intend to construct a massive police and fire training facility. According to CBS News, the investigation agency maintains its earlier conclusion regarding the occurrence.
The victim slept in the forest for months to prevent the construction of what activists call "Cop City." The activist's family and friends claim he preached nonviolence and accused the government of state-sanctioned murder.
The investigative agency has stated that there is no body camera or dashcam footage of the shooting and that ballistics data indicates the injured trooper was shot with a round from a firearm lawfully acquired by Paez Terán in 2020.
According to Spears, the family requested a second one when the original autopsy was completed by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office. The DeKalb County study has not been made public; therefore, it is unknown if it reaches the same conclusion as Paez Terán's.
The family's autopsy report states that Paez Terán's body was ripped apart and shot at least a dozen times and that "several of the wound tracks within his body merge, combine, and intersect, making it difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish each wound track."
Also, the investigation states that it is "difficult to ascertain" whether the activist was carrying a firearm when they were shot. Dr. Kris Sperry was the investigation bureau's longtime chief medical examiner until he abruptly resigned in 2015 after the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Sperry "claimed hundreds of work hours at the GBI when he was working for clients of his forensic-science consulting business."
The Atlanta City Council authorized the construction of the projected $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in 2021, stating that a state-of-the-art facility will replace inferior programs and increase police morale, which is plagued by difficulties with recruitment and retention.
Paez Terán traveled from Florida to the woods to join protesters sleeping at the location and constructing platforms in the surrounding trees. According to self-described "forest defenders," constructing the 85-acre (34-hectare) training complex would need the removal of so many trees that it would be detrimental to the ecology.
They also oppose spending so much money on a project that they believe will be used for "urban warfare." The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI), which launched an inquiry into the death two months ago, issued a statement last week stating that it prohibits the "inappropriate dissemination of material" to preserve the investigation's integrity.
The agency claimed that ballistics data indicated the trooper was shot with a round from Manuel Paez Terán's pistol. It stated last week that the inquiry "continues to corroborate our original assessment." Earlier this month, Atlanta police charged 23 individuals with domestic terrorism offenses in response to separate protests, BBC reported.
Attorney Jeff Filipovits stated that the family had filed a lawsuit against the city to obtain additional details regarding the shooting. He noted that the autopsy "is insufficient for us to determine what occurred by working backward."
South River Forest Project
After Tortuguita's death, the family requested data from multiple agencies. The Atlanta Police Department produced recordings from the day of the incident, according to family attorney Wingo Smith on Monday.
Smith stated that the department refused to release additional recordings to the family or the media after receiving a letter from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation asking police to stop releasing incident-related materials and the attorney general's office advising the city that it was not required to release records to the family.
Per USA Today, Smith stated, "It appears there was a concerted effort to quiet the city of Atlanta, and it succeeded."
Since late 2021, activists have occupied the area to block the project's development over fears that it will severely harm the South River Forest and lead to the militarization of police.
According to a combination of law enforcement authorities, the organizations are intimidating project employees and harming nearby people. According to the GBI, seven individuals were detained and charged with domestic terrorism and criminal trespass on the day of the incident.
Individuals are now incarcerated in the DeKalb County prison who have no factual foundation for their charges, at least none that has been explained. Filipovits stated. "This will continue. This continues. This is state intimidation against dissent."
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