Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán was killed by Georgia State Patrol troopers on January 18, 2023, during an operation against opponents of Atlanta’s planned police training center. Terán was 26.
Investigators said Terán fired first and wounded a trooper. Their family challenged that account. The troopers involved did not have body-camera footage of the shooting.
The official DeKalb County autopsy documented at least 57 gunshot wounds. It did not establish that Terán’s hands were raised. That conclusion had been advanced by a separate examination commissioned by the family.
In October 2023, special prosecutor George Christian concluded that the officers’ use of force was justified and declined to bring charges. The decision left the family pursuing answers about the shooting and access to the investigative record.
