Family of man killed by police at training facility want investigators to ‘release the file’

Ashli Lincoln
·3 min read
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The district attorney’s office investigating the death of a protester who was shot by Georgia State Patrol troopers sent its report to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Friday.

Manuel Teran, 26, was shot and killed on Jan. 18 during a raid on the construction site of an Atlanta police and fire public safety training facility.

Officials said Teran refused to listen to commands from the troopers to come out of a tent and fired four gunshots at the troopers. Six troopers returned fire at Teran, killing him.

The attorney representing Teran’s family said they question the evidence the GBI cites in their report, because they have yet to see it.

“If there is nothing to hide, then show us the evidence. We were told that once the DA’s report was released, the GBI would release all of the underlying evidence,” family attorney Jeff Filipovits said. “But now, the District Attorney has stated that his office will not produce the underlying evidence.”

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The Mountain Circuit District Attorney’s report is based on photographs, audio witness interviews, crime scene drawings and reports, forensic lab reports, and body camera audio and video—none of which have been provided to the family.

In a report issued Friday, the district attorney’s office ruled that the use of lethal force by GSP was “objectively reasonable under the circumstances of this case” and no criminal charges will be filed against the troopers involved in the shooting.

According to the GBI, troopers gave Teran verbal commands to come out of his tent, but he refused.

The GBI said Teran then shot at them without warning, and they shot back in self-defense.

In Atlanta police body camera video, you can hear four distinct shots before a barrage of rapid-fire gunshots.

According to an autopsy performed by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, it concluded that Teran had more than 57 gunshot wounds.

The GBI said that forensic ballistic analysis confirmed that the bullet recovered from the trooper’s wound matched Teran’s handgun that was recovered at the scene.

Agents identified the gun as a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm.

The autopsy report said that no gunshot residue was observed on Teran’s hands, not that it wasn’t present. Powder residue is not always something that is visible to the naked eye.

“This pervasive abuse of open records law only adds to the pain and trauma Manuel’s family is going through,” family attorney Wingo Smith said.

“We have waited eight months for the truth. We are in pain. We want to hear the interviews. We want our experts to review the lab tests. We want our questions answered. This report does not answer our questions. How long must we wait?” Manual’s mother, Belkis Teran, said.

“The family calls upon the GBI and the District Attorney to provide them with the evidence about Manuel’s death. The District Attorney made his decision. Although the family is disappointed that the officers who killed Manuel will not face criminal charges, there is simply no remaining justification for refusing to release the investigative file,” Smith said.

As Manuel Teran’s father, Joel Paez, put it: “Release the file now. No more excuses.”

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