Updated on Jan. 29, 2025, at 3:48 p.m.
“We Came to the Forest,” a new investigative podcast, tells the untold stories of activists who oppose the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center —widely known as “Cop City.”
The seven-episode series looks into the death of the environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita. They were shot and killed by law enforcement officers on Jan. 18, 2023, during a multi-agency raid near the planned site for fire and police training facility. Officers say Tortuguita shot a state trooper while authorities were clearing activists from the area.
The podcast features Tortuguita and their partner, Vienna Forrest, and centers on the stories of other activists who protested the construction of the $90 million facility.
On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Atlanta journalist and host Matthew Shaer, along with executive producer Tommy Andres, spoke with show host Rose Scott about their work to produce the podcast. They also shared details about how and why the Cop City Movement appealed to activists from across the nation.
