Current:Home > MarketsPolice officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of protester at 'Cop City' -GrowthSphere Strategies
Police officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of protester at 'Cop City'
View
Date:2025-04-14 13:46:23
None of the Georgia State Police troopers involved in the fatal shooting of Manuel "Tortuguita" Teran will face charges, according to Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George R. Christian.
Teran, who used they/them pronouns, was shot and killed by police on Jan. 18 as officers raided campgrounds occupied by environmental demonstrators who had allegedly been camping out for months to protest the development of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, dubbed "Cop City" by critics.
According to an autopsy of Teran sent to ABC News, they did not have gunpowder residue on their hands. Officials claimed Teran fired the first shot at a state trooper. Officers then responded with gunfire.
In Friday's announcement that no charges would be filed, Christian wrote that Teran responded to officers firing "less lethal" pepperball rounds by "shooting four (4) times his 9 mm pistol through the tent striking and seriously injuring a Georgia State Trooper. Six Troopers returned fire resulting in the death of Teran."
"The use of lethal (deadly) force by the Georgia State Patrol was objectively reasonable under the circumstances of this case," Christian wrote. "No criminal charges will be brought against the Georgia State Patrol Troopers involved in the shooting of Manuel Perez Teran."
MORE: DeKalb County releases autopsy in 'Cop City' protester Manuel Teran's death
Teran had at least 57 gunshot wounds in their body, according to the autopsy, including in the hands, torso, legs and head.
An independent autopsy from the family found that Teran’s hands were raised during the fatal shooting, however, the DeKalb County autopsy stated, "There are too many variables with respect to movement of the decedent and the shooters to draw definitive conclusions concerning Mr. Teran's body position."
The DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office had ruled the death a homicide.
The Georgia Attorney General's Office is conducting its own investigation into the shooting.
ABC News' Jason Volack and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Fewer Americans file for jobless benefits last week, but applications remain slightly elevated
- California lawmaker switches party, criticizes Democratic leadership
- Philippe Petit recreates high-wire walk between World Trade Center’s twin towers on 50th anniversary
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Maui remembers the 102 lost in the Lahaina wildfire with a paddle out 1 year after devastating blaze
- Nevada governor releases revised climate plan after lengthy delay
- Pregnant Cardi B Details Freak Accident That Nearly Left Her Paralyzed
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Kelsea Ballerini announces new album, ‘Patterns.’ It isn’t what you’d expect: ‘I’m team no rules’
Ranking
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Flood damage outpaces some repairs in hard-hit Vermont town
- Nevada governor releases revised climate plan after lengthy delay
- Teen Mom Stars Amber Portwood and Gary Shirley’s Daughter Leah Looks All Grown Up in Rare Photo
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Wisconsin man convicted in wrong-way drunken driving crash that killed 4 siblings
- Dead woman found entangled in baggage machinery at Chicago airport
- Ferguson marks 10 years since Michael Brown’s death. While there’s some progress, challenges persist
Recommendation
Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
Georgia school chief says AP African American Studies can be taught after legal opinion
2024 Olympics: Runner Noah Lyles Says This Will Be the End of His Competing After COVID Diagnosis
Sam Edelman Shoes Are up to 64% Off - You Won’t Believe All These Chic Finds Under $75
The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
Taylor Swift Terror Plot: Police Reveal New Details on Planned Concert Attack
DNA on weapons implicates ex-U.S. Green Beret in attempted Venezuelan coup, federal officials say
Inter Miami vs. Toronto live updates: Leagues Cup tournament scores, highlights