Protester killed at Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ had ‘hands raised’ when state patrol shot him: autopsy
An independent autopsy showed that Manuel Teran’s hands were raised when the Georgia State Patrol shot and killed him during a demonstration in January.
According to a statement released Friday, Teran’s family has filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta under the Georgia Open Records Act, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The family decided to sue after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation prohibited the city from releasing additional video evidence in the case.
“The GBI’s interference left the family with no choice but to file a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta,” the statement reads.
The incident occurred on Jan. 18 when Teran and other activists sat in a wooded area which is the site for a potential 85-acre police training facility known as ‘Cop City.’ The shooting, which is now steeped in controversy, took place when multiple law enforcement agents attempted to remove the activists from the site.
Officers say Teran fired first, and a gun found at the site was linked to a 2020 purchase by Teran. But now, the autopsy — which was funded by Teran’s family — shows conflicting evidence.
According to the family’s lawyers, the autopsy showed that Teran was probably in a “cross-legged” seated position when he was killed, and both his hands showed “exit wounds” on the palms, implying his hands were raised and empty.
Family attorney Jeff Filipovits claims the GBI has only released certain evidence to paint a false narrative.
“The GBI will not even tell us what type of evidence it has. Now, it says that the City of Atlanta cannot release the public records sought by Manuel’s family,” he said in the statement Friday.
“Imagine the police killed your child. And now then imagine they won’t tell you anything. That is what we are going through,” added Teran’s mother, Belkis.
The family plans to hold a press conference Monday to expand on the details of the autopsy and their lawsuit against the City of Atlanta.
