DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Atlanta police said they are aware of calls to violence from people sympathetic to a protester killed by police at the site of a planned police training facility and are on ‘high alert.’
Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, 26, was killed Wednesday after he shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper conducting a clearing raid in the woods that protesters have been occupying for months. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Teran shot at troopers without warning, critically injuring one.
The trooper is not being identified out of concern for his safety, but is stable after surgery, GSP said.
Shortly after the shooting, flyers calling for a “night of rage” and violent retaliation on Friday night began to circulate. The flyers did not specify a location for the proposed violence.
On Thursday night, police issued a statement, saying:
“Our officers are on high alert, and we will continue our work to keep our streets safe for our residents, businesses, and visitors alike. We remain in close contact with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners and are grateful for their commitment to our shared goal of creating the safest communities possible for our city.”
Protesters have been occupying one of Atlanta’s oldest urban forests for months in protest of the APD training facility. Some say that building the facility will harm the environment and others are concerned it will promote police brutality.
City officials, including GBI Director Mike Register, say the training facility is meant to train officers in better policing practices and will be beneficial to the city.
After Teran’s death, seven protesters were arrested overnight on domestic terrorism charges. Of the seven, none were from metro Atlanta.
Agents found mortar-style fireworks, multiple edged weapons, pellet rifles, gas masks and a blow torch at the campsites. Three people cooperated with agents and were allowed to leave the site without facing charges.