What Is Atlanta's Cop City And Why Is It So Controversial?

In January 2023, an event far worse than the arrests occurred outside the Cop City site when protestor Manuel Esteban Paez Terán was fatally shot 13 times. After disobeying commands and reportedly firing upon law enforcement first, Teran was shot at in response by more than one officer. The Paez family doubted the explanation and were not only horrified to hear of what had happened to Manuel, affectionately known as Tortuguita, but were beyond frustrated with the lack of information coming from the authorities.

In heartbreaking desperation, Tortuguita’s mother, Belkis Teran, said in a statement, “Imagine the police killed your child. And now then imagine they won’t tell you anything. That is what we are going through” (via NPR). And the situation has only become more difficult for the Paez family after a second autopsy in March concluded that the victim was likely sitting cross-legged with his hands up when fired upon.

The same tragic day that Tortuguita was shot, at least seven other individuals were also arrested and charged as domestic terrorists as well. In response to his death and the arrests, the Paez family attorney, Jeff Filipovits, said, “The terrorism charges are meant to send a message, and that message is clear: ‘If you stand in our way, we will take you out of our way'” (via The Guardian). On the other hand, police chief Darin Schierbaum had a different perspective and said in a press conference, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or an attorney to tell you that breaking windows and setting fires is not protest. It’s terrorism.”