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The Takeaway

Cop City: Police Shot Protester Tortuguita 57 Times

The Takeaway

WNYC and PRX

Politics, Wnyc, Daily News, Radio, Takeaway, National, News, News Commentary

4.6716 Ratings

🗓️ 26 April 2023

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

An autopsy conducted by an independent examiner in March found Tortuguita's hands were in a raised position. A second autopsy report -conducted by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner-found no gun residue on Queer, Indigenous-Venezuelan activist Manuel Teran AKA Tortuguita's hands but only upon visual inspection. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ran a gun residue kit, confirming gun residue was found on Tortuguita's body. The report noted that "it is possible for victims of gunshot wounds, both self-inflicted and non-self-inflicted, to have GSR present on their hands.” Some experts believe this means Tortuguita fired on officers first, and an absence of solid evidence has created speculation about what exactly sparked the gunfire exchange. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras, and questions about the nature of the officers' actions and the activist's death linger. Initial reports claimed Manuel Teran had been killed by 14 gunshot wounds after firing on an officer. An official autopsy from the DeKalb Medical Examiner's office shows Tortuguita's body suffered at least 57 gunshot wounds. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. We speak with Matt Scott, a member of the Atlanta Community Press Collective, which is a nonprofit media collective that’s been doing research on the development of cop city and providing community-embedded reporting. Matt joins us for an update on the situation in Atlanta after attending the City Council Subcommittee on the project and some bond hearings for some of those charged with ‘domestic terrorism.' You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Editor's Note: This story was updated at 6:18 PM ET. You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Cop City ; Cop City: Forest Defender Killed; Cop City: Welcome to RIOTSVILLE, USA; Cop City: Week of Action For transcripts, click the links above and visit our homepage.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, it's Latif from Radio Lab.

0:02.0

Our goal with each episode is to make you think,

0:06.1

how did I live this long and not know that?

0:09.6

Radio Lab, adventures on the edge of what we think we know.

0:13.0

Listen, wherever you get podcasts.

0:18.9

This is the takeaway with MHP, from WNYC and PRX in collaboration with GBH News in Boston.

0:30.2

My child, Manuel Esteban Paesteran, was killed here in Atlanta on the 18th of January,

0:38.3

2023.

0:42.3

We still do not know anything.

0:47.3

It was killed our most beloved family member and the most caring person that any group of people could have,

1:01.5

and there is only silence.

1:09.1

You're listening here to Belkis Terranan, the mother of Manuel Esteban Pais Tehran,

1:16.0

a young, indigenous Venezuelan activist who was known by friends and fellow activists as Tortugita.

1:24.4

In January, they were killed by police during a law enforcement raid of the peaceful encampment

1:30.8

of forest defenders.

1:32.9

These are, of course, social and environmental justice advocates who are part of a broad coalition

1:38.5

resisting the proposed 85-acre $90 million public safety facility training center known as Cop City.

1:48.1

Manuel loved the forest, gave them peace. They meditate there. The forest connects them with God.

2:01.6

Initially, official reports claimed that police fired on Tortugita after they refused to follow one officer's directions and fired on another officer.

2:12.6

But last week, an autopsy report conducted by the DeKal Medical Examiner's office found no gun residue on the activist's hands.

2:21.3

Now, back in March, the takeaway talked with some people who had known Tortugito, and they offered their memories.

2:30.3

I knew Tort, you know what I'm saying?

...

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