Autopsy shows ‘Cop City’ protester shot 57 times, challenges official narrative

Apr 21, 2023

Karah Rucker Reporter/Producer

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Editor/Digital Producer)

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Police shot and killed Manuel Paez Teran in January during a protest near “Cop City,” which is the site of a future Atlanta Police Department Training Facility. Police said Teran had fired a gun, injuring a state trooper, then police fired back.

There are conflicting reports over how the 26-year-old died. Teran’s family released an independent autopsy that differs from what the county medical examiner has released. The state’s autopsy contradicts ballistic evidence tying Teran to the trooper’s shooting.

The state’s official autopsy revealed Teran had 57 gunshot wounds on his head, torso, hands and legs. It also suggests there’s no way to know how Teran was positioned at the time of the shooting. The family’s private autopsy report suggests Teran was in a seated position and most likely had his hands up.

The state’s autopsy also revealed there was no gun powder residue found on Teran clothes or around any of the gunshot wounds. But the bullet used to shoot the state trooper was forensically linked back to a gun owned by Teran and that was found at the scene.

The official autopsy does little to advance the state’s version of events, including the notion that the protester shot first, wounding the officer. There was no body camera footage of the shootout.

For months, the site where the shooting occurred has been surrounded by controversy and protests, sometimes violent. City officials say the center will improve police training while protestors say it will endanger the community.

Tags: Atlanta, Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, Cop City, Georgia

KARAH RUCKER: POLICE SHOT AND KILLED MANUEL PAEZ TERAN IN JANUARY DURING A PROTEST NEAR COP CITY – WHICH IS THE SITE OF A FUTURE ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING FACILITY. POLICE SAID TERAN HAD FIRED A GUN, INJURING A STATE TROOPER – THEN POLICE FIRED BACK.

THERE ARE CONFLICTING REPORTS OVER HOW THE 26 YEAR OLD DIED. TERAN’S FAMILY RELEASED AN INDEPENDENT AUTOPSY THAT DIFFERS FROM WHAT THE COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER JUST RELEASED. AND THE STATE’S AUTOPSY CONTRADICTS BALLISTIC EVIDENCE TYING TERAN TO THE TROOPER’S SHOOTING.

THE STATE’S OFFICIAL AUTOPSY REVEALED TERAN HAD 57 GUNSHOT WOUNDS — ON HIS HEAD, TORSO, HANDS AND LEGS. IT ALSO SUGGESTS THERE’S NO WAY TO KNOW HOW TERAN WAS POSITIONED AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING – WHILE THE FAMILY’S PRIVATE AUTOPSY REPORT SUGGESTS TERAN WAS IN A SEATED POSITION AND MOST LIKELY HAD HIS HANDS UP.

THE STATE’S AUTOPSY ALSO REVEALED THERE WAS NO GUN POWDER RESIDUE FOUND ON TERAN’S CLOTHES OR AROUND ANY OF THE GUNSHOT WOUNDS – DESPITE THE BULLET USED TO SHOOT THE STATE TROOPER FORENSICALLY LINKED BACK TO A GUN OWNED BY TERAN AND FOUND AT THE SCENE.

HOWEVER THE OFFICIAL AUTOPSY DOES LITTLE TO ADVANCE THE STATE’S VERSION OF EVENTS, INCLUDING THE NOTION THAT THE PROTESTER SHOT FIRST – WOUNDING AN OFFICER. THERE WAS NO BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE SHOOTOUT.

FOR MONTHS THE SITE WHERE THE SHOOTING OCCURRED HAS BEEN SURROUNDED BY CONTROVERSY AND PROTESTS – SOMETIMES VIOLENT. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE CENTER WILL IMPROVE POLICE TRAINING – WHILE PROTESTORS SAY IT WILL ENDANGER THE COMMUNITY.