ATLANTA — On Wednesday, the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office released the results of the autopsy related to the death of Manuel Esteban Páez Terán, who earlier this year protested the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Education Center.
Teran, who moved to “Tortuguta” and used he/they pronouns, was shot and killed on January 18 after police raided a campground occupied by environmental protesters, who said They were known to have been camping for months to protest the development of the retreat. It has been called a “police city” by critics.
According to the autopsy report, there was no gunpowder residue on Teran’s hands. Officials claimed Teran fired the first shot at a state trooper. The officers responded with gunfire. Reports said Teran had at least 57 bullet wounds to his body, which included arms, torso, legs and head.
An independent autopsy by the family revealed that Teran’s hand had been raised during the fatal wound. However, the DeKalb County autopsy stated that “there are too many variables regarding the movement of the decedent and perpetrator to draw definite conclusions regarding the location of Mr. Teran’s body.”
Teran’s death was ruled a homicide, according to the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, there is no body camera footage of the incident. Officials said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
City officials claim the training center can improve policing, while critics argue the effort is arming police and putting the community at risk.