A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the parents of Venezuelan activist Manuel Paez Terán, who was killed by police during protests against Atlanta's 'Cop City' project in 2023, according to court documents. Judge Steven Grimberg ruled in favor of the officers, concluding that their use of lethal force was 'objectively reasonable', and detailed factors supporting his decision, including that Terán wounded a trooper after opening fire, which the plaintiffs acknowledged.
Manuel Paez Terán, known as 'Tortuguita', was shot dead by Georgia state troopers on January 18, 2023, according to official reports. Terán had been camping in the woods near the 'Cop City' construction site for months before their death, and six troopers approached Terán's tent after receiving orders from a GBI agent to clear the park, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said. The GBI said Terán ignored verbal commands to leave, even after being warned of arrest for criminal trespass.
Conflicting accounts emerged from police and the family. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said officers fired pepper balls into Terán's tent after Terán ignored orders, and officers fired in self-defense when Terán shot at them, severely wounding one trooper, with investigators noting the injured officer was shot with a bullet traced to a pistol Terán legally purchased in 2020. The family's lawsuit alleged that Terán panicked and fired when officers used force and infringed on their freedom of speech, and that Terán was 'assassinated in cold blood', while also alleging three officers violated Terán's civil rights through false arrest and excessive force during a 'planned' raid on a protest encampment.
Evidence questions remain, as an independent autopsy revealed Terán was hit 57 times, including in the right eye, chest, stomach, arms, and legs, and was seated cross-legged with hands in the air at the time of the shooting, according to the autopsy report. Body-cam footage from four officers failed to show the shooting itself but captured the initial encounter where troopers ordered Terán to leave the tent, according to investigators. The exact sequence of events and timing during the exchange of gunfire between Terán and the officers has not been fully clarified.