Manuel Esteban Paez Teran: New autopsy reveals Antifa protester was shot 57 times by Atlanta police
DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA: Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, a 26-year-old who used they/them pronouns, was shot and killed by Atlanta police on January 18, 2023, during a raid as they cleared the site of the planned Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. GA Bureau of Investigation stated, “During a multi-agency operation on Constitution Rd, one person fired shots at law enforcement. Law enforcement fired back. A Georgia State Trooper was hit and taken to the hospital and is in surgery.” However, Teran was pronounced dead. Now, according to a newly released autopsy report, Teran died from at least 57 gunshot wounds and no gunpowder residue was found on the activist's hands.
Earlier in January, there had been a protest after the death of the 26-year-old Georgia-based activist. The police had termed the protest organized by 'Stop Cop City' as violent but the protesters refuted these claims. Prior to Teran's death in December 2022, five Antifa members were reportedly arrested and charged with domestic terrorism on December 13 after a joint operation against protesters of the $90 million training center in Atlanta.
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57 gunshot wounds on body but no gunpowder residue on hands
The autopsy report states, "Under the provisions of the Georgia Death Investigation Act, an autopsy is performed. This examination takes place in the DeKalb County Forensic Science Center on Thursday, January 19, 2023, commencing at 8 am. The examination continues to the following day, January 20th, and ends at approximately 3 pm." The report as obtained by Fox News says, "The autopsy revealed at least 57 gunshot wounds. Soot, stippling, searing, and gunpowder residue were not found in association with any of the above-described clothing or around any of the gunshot wounds. The clothing exhibits numerous gunshot entrance and exit defects that in general correspond to those seen on the body." It further added, "Gunpowder residue is not seen on the hands."
It also states several bullets entered Teran's right eye, chest, stomach, arms, and legs and notably, says any attempts to place the deceased "in any particular position at a specific point in time is fraught with potential inaccuracies." "There are too many variables with respect to the movement of the decedent and the shooters to draw definitive conclusions" about the positioning of Teran's body. Teran's death has been ruled a homicide according to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office.
Manuel Esteban Paez Teran's death
Teran, who was the first environmental protester to be killed by police in US history, died during a multi-agency operation to remove protesters from Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which has been locally dubbed as 'Cop City,' states Newsweek. Speaking about the shooting, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that while at the protest he did "not comply with verbal commands" and shot a state trooper. This resulted in officials firing back which led to his death. Officials stated because Georgia State Patrol troopers do not wear body cameras, there was no camera footage of the shooting. However, they released footage of surrounding areas in which the shooting can be heard, but not seen. Teran's mother Belkis told at that time, as per DailyMail, she believed Teran was "assassinated in cold blood."
The Atlanta Community Press Collective paid tribute to Teran and wrote, as per DailyMail, "We are devastated by the loss of our friend who was killed by the police. Tortuguita was a kind, passionate, and loving person, cherished by their community. They spent their time between Atlanta, defending the forest from destruction and coordinating mutual aid for the movement, and Florida where they helped build housing in low-income communities hit hardest by the hurricane. They were trained medics, a loving partner, a dear friend, a brave soul, and so much more. In Tort's name, we continue to fight to protect the forest and stop cop city with love, rage, and a commitment to each other's safety and well-being."