Official autopsy report finds no evidence slain 'Cop City' protester shot first

The family of fatally shot protester Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, also known as Tortuguita, held a press conference in Decatur, Ga, on Feb. 6, 2023, asking for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to release more information on the death of the activist. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

An autopsy report released Wednesday, April 19, by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office states there was no gunpowder residue on the hands of the protester who was shot and killed during a multi-agency clearing operation near the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Officials claimed 26-year-old Manuel Paez Teran first fired at a state trooper, and six officers fired back. The injured officer recovered after he was treated at a local hospital. His name was never publicly released.

Teran’s death has now been ruled a homicide, according to the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office.