Current:Home > InvestPolice officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of protester at 'Cop City' -StockHorizon
Police officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of protester at 'Cop City'
View
Date:2025-04-13 05:05:40
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
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Schools are competing with cell phones. Here’s how they think they could win
- Kroger and Albertsons head to court to defend merger plan against US regulators’ objections
- Election 2024 Latest: Harris and Trump campaigns tussle over muting microphones at upcoming debate
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Kroger and Albertsons hope to merge but must face a skeptical US government in court first
- Timeline of Gateway Church exodus, allegations following claims against Robert Morris
- 'This is our division': Brewers run roughshod over NL Central yet again
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Absolute Units
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Woman struck by boat propeller at New Jersey shore dies of injuries
- Olympic star Mondo Duplantis breaks pole vault world record again, has priceless reaction
- 'This is our division': Brewers run roughshod over NL Central yet again
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Watch live: NASA set to reveal how Boeing Starliner astronauts will return to Earth
- Little League World Series live: Updates, Highlights for LLWS games Sunday
- Famed Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster is shut down after mid-ride malfunction
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
Alaska governor declares disaster following landslide in Ketchikan
Below Deck Mediterranean's Chef Serves Potentially Deadly Meal to Allergic Guest—and Sandy Is Pissed
AEW All In 2024: Live results, match grades, card, highlights for London PPV
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
Zoë Kravitz says Beyoncé was 'so supportive' of that 'Blink Twice' needle drop
Hurricane Hone sweeps past Hawaii, dumping enough rain to ease wildfire fears
Five takeaways from NASCAR race at Daytona, including Harrison Burton's stunning win