October 8th 2023.
The case of Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, a 26-year-old Indigenous queer and non-binary environmental activist and community organizer, has come to a close. On January 6th, Teran was killed in a raid on a campground that was being occupied by environmental activists. These activists were protesting against the “Cop City” complex planned for the city of Atlanta.
On October 6th, Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George R. Christian released a statement about the findings of his investigation. According to the statement, the use of lethal force by the Georgia State Patrol was, “objectively reasonable under the circumstances of this case.” The investigation also revealed that there was no gunpowder residue on the hands of the officers, and that Teran fired the first shot, before the officers returned fire.
An autopsy report revealed that Teran had 57 wounds to their body from gunshots, including the arms, legs, chest, and head. The family of Teran also had an autopsy conducted, which indicated that Teran had their hands up when they were shot. However, the official autopsy conducted by the state concluded that, “There are too many variables with respect to movement of the decedent and the shooters to draw definitive conclusions concerning Mr. Teran’s body position.”
Despite the fact that Teran’s death was ruled a homicide, none of the Georgia State Troopers involved in the shooting will face any charges. This means that none of them will be held accountable for the murder.
In September, activists continuing the work of Teran’s protest against “Cop City” in a forest outside Atlanta, were hit with RICO charges by the state. According to The Intercept, the start date of their alleged racketeering conspiracy is listed as date that George Floyd was executed by the Minneapolis Police Department. This reportedly predates the announcement of plans for Cop City.
The ACLU and Movement For Black Lives have condemned the use of RICO charges against the protestors. Aamra Ahmad, the senior staff attorney on the ACLU’s National Security Project, stated, “We are extremely concerned by this breathtakingly broad and unprecedented use of state terrorism, anti-racketeering, and money laundering laws against protesters. Georgia law enforcement officials are disproportionately wielding these overbroad laws to stigmatize and target those who disagree with the government.”
The death of Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran is a tragedy, and the refusal to charge the officers involved in the shooting means that no justice will be served. The use of RICO charges against the protestors following in Teran’s footsteps has been deemed a discriminatory and oppressive act by activists, and the use of anti-racketeering laws against protestors is a threat to civil liberties. The fight for justice for Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran must continue.
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