Family of slain ‘Cop City’ activist wants answers
The parents of slain activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran called on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Monday, Feb. 6, to provide answers about the events leading up to the activist’s death last month.
Paez Teran — who went by “Tortuguita” — along with other activists was protesting the proposed building of a large police training center in a forest in southern Dekalb County. Groups critical of the police and environmentalists have opposed the building of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, or “Cop City,” since 2021 by setting up encampments in the 85acre forest.
On Jan. 18, a law enforcement “clearing operation” turned violent. A Georgia State Patrol officer was shot and seriously wounded and Paez Teran was shot and killed.
A private autopsy commissioned by the family indicated that 26-year-old Paez Teran was shot at least 12 times by several different firearms, attorney Brian Spears said Monday.
“Multiple officers riddled his body with bullets,” Spears said.
There is no camera footage of the event because none of the officers present were wearing body cameras, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said last month. Bodycam footage of the aftermath does exist.
The attorneys called on the GBI and other law enforcement agencies to release any and all audio and video footage — including drone and helicopter footage — of the events of Jan. 18.
“Manuel is dead. You cannot charge a dead person with a crime,” Spears said. “There is no reason to withhold this information and there is no reason to not be transparent.
“There needs to be an independent and unbiased investigation into the entire circumstances that should focus not only on whatever shooting may have been done by our young deceased, but also by the officers. We’re here today because we need facts.”
“We are not releasing any videos currently because agents are continuing to conduct key interviews and want
to maintain the integrity of the investigation,” GBI’S Miles said on Monday.
Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be handed off to a special prosecutor, Miles added. Officer-involved shooting investigations typically take 60 days to 90 days to complete.
The legal team had handdelivered a letter to the GBI asking a representative to meet with the family but received no response, attorney Jeff Filipovits said.
“When we began our case, we contacted and spoke with
Teran’s family,” Miles said. “We intend to follow up with the family as the investigation progresses.”
Paez Terán’s family said the activist was drawn to the Atlanta forest by a long history of environmental activism and love for the natural world.
“We are horrified by all that has happened,” said his mother, Belkis Teran.
Paez Teran graduated with honors from Florida State University and frequently organized beach and park clean- ups and recycling events, she said.