(ATLANTA, Ga.) — A group of Georgia lawmakers, all Democrats representing Senate and House districts in the metro Atlanta area, has sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s office at the US Department of Justice.
The letter requests that AG Garland conducts a thorough independent investigation into the “persistent pattern of misconduct within state law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to the January 18, 2023 incident.”
Environmental activist Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Paez Teran was shot and killed January 18 by a joint task-force of Georgia law enforcement departments, during what officials termed a “clearing operation.” Teran had been camping in the South River Forest for a number of weeks or months at that point, protesting the construction of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, planned for that site.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that Teran shot first, and that their death came from return fire. Teran’s family disputes the account. Since Georgia State Patrol officers don’t habitually wear bodycams and autopsies were inconclusive, the group of six Democrats want a more thorough investigation to dispel doubts.
“We believe it is essential that a credible investigation be conducted that gathers and releases the necessary information to ensure public confidence in the investigatory and law enforcement process,” the letter says.
The letter can be read in full, here.