Activist Had Hands Raised When Shot Near Atlanta's 'Cop City': Reports

ATLANTA, GA — An activist fatally shot by police near the site of a police training center under construction outside Atlanta had his hands raised when state troopers fired, attorneys for his family said Friday, according to multiple reports.

Lawyers said a second, independent autopsy performed on Manuel Esteban Paez Terán confirmed he was facing "multiple individuals who were firing weapons," 11 Alive reported. Terán's palms also showed exit wounds, meaning he was "most probably in a seated position, cross-legged when killed," attorneys said.

The autopsy results were released Friday in a statement by civil rights attorneys Brian Spears and Jeff Filipovits on behalf of Terán's family, who also plan to file a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

A news conference is planned for

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According to the statement obtained by the Journal-Constitution, Terán's family claims the city planned to release additional video evidence of his death until the Georgia Bureau of Investigation intervened and blocked more videos from being released.

“The GBI’s interference left the family with no choice but to file a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta,” the statement reads.

Terán was shot to death by officers during a January raid at a protest camp near the training center called "Cop City." Police have said that Terán attacked them, a version that other activists have questioned.

Like many protesters, friends and family said Terán was dedicated to preserving the environment, ideals that clashed with Atlanta’s hopes of building a $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center to boost preparedness and morale after George Floyd’s death in 2020.

In recent months, the site has become the flashpoint of the ongoing conflict between authorities and left-leaning protesters who have been drawn together, joining forces to protest various causes. Among them: People against the militarization of the police; others who aim to protect the environment; and some who oppose corporations that they see as helping to fund the project through donations to a police foundation.

Nearly two dozen people have been accused of domestic terrorism in connection with March 5 protest near the site.

Atlanta Police arrested 23 people after accusing them of being among several protesters who threw Molotov cocktails, fireworks and other items at officers at the training center site near Bouldercrest and Key roads. Police said the protesters vandalized construction equipment and set it on fire.

GBI officials previously said Terán shot at officers first and was killed when troopers returned fire.

"Officers gave verbal commands to the man who did not comply and shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper," according to a release issued in January.

In response to Friday's statement by attorneys, GBI officials said the agency is working "diligently to protect the integrity of the investigation and will turn our findings over to an appointed prosecutor for review and action."

GBI officials also responded to claims by Terán's family that the agency is preventing them from viewing video evidence concerning his death.

"The actions of the GBI to prevent inappropriate release of evidence are solely intended to preserve the integrity of the investigation and to ensure the facts of the incident are not tainted," the agency said. "The GBI investigation still supports our initial assessment."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.