The Georgia State Troopers who fatally shot an activist protesting the planned construction of a police training center outside of Atlanta will not face charges.
Troopers fatally shot Manuel Teran, 26, in January while protesting the intended site of the new training facility, also known as “Cop City,” among protestors.
Teran, who went by the nickname Tortuguita, was nonbinary and used they/them pronouns, HuffPost reported.
Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Christian said the six officers who shot Teran acted lawfully.
“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.”
Authorities said Teran and others were camped outon the grounds of the planned training center when Georgia State Troopers arrived to remove them. Teran is accused of shooting at officers through their tent four times with a 9 mm pistol, injuring an officer.
The Georgia Burea’s investigation report claims he had gun residue on his hands. But an autopsy from the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office and another independent autopsy did not find gunshot residue.
The independent autopsy also concluded that Teran had his hands raised when he was shot.
“Manuel’s left and right hands show exit wounds in both palms,” a statement from attorneys representing Teran’s family said at the time. “The autopsy further reveals that Manuel was most probably in a seated position, cross-legged when killed.”
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