CNN
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mother of a worker fatally shot told earlier this week by law enforcement in Atlanta that she felt angry and powerless objected to the shooting Saturday flared up.
The activist – 26-year-old Manuel Esteban Páez Terán – was shot near plans for a $90 million, 85-acre law enforcement training facility where opponents have camped for months in an effort to block its construction.
On Wednesday morning, law enforcement officials were “conducting a clearing operation to identify those who were trespassing in the area,” officials said.
Officers observed someone in a tent in the woods and gave a verbal command, but the person allegedly did not comply and shot a Georgia State Patrol trooper, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. News release,
The officers returned fire and seriously wounded the man, identified as Teran. The GBI said a handgun recovered from the man’s possession matched the projectile from the soldier’s wound.
Teran’s mother, Belkis Teran, spoke to CNN by phone from Panama on Saturday night, expressing disbelief at law enforcement’s recounting of the incident.
“He said he had a gun. If he had one, it would have been to protect himself from animals in the woods. That’s what I understand,” she said.
“I never knew he had a gun,” the mother continued, adding that she did not think Terran was the person to shoot at law enforcement.
Activists opposing the facility also controversial In law enforcement’s account, Terran is described as a “forest protector” working to fight environmental racism. They said Terran identified as nonbinary and was a “lovely, warm, very smart and caring” person.
“He wasn’t a violent person. He was a pacifist. He told me that all the time… He didn’t even kill any animals,” Teran’s mother said.
The mother said Teran expressed no concerns about personal safety when she spent nearly six months with other activists near the proposed police training facility.
“He didn’t think it would escalate. I’d tell him to be careful, but he’d tell me he was safe.
The mother says she now wants to come to America to help the workers who know Terran.
“I want to stand up. I want to be their voice. I want to help conservationists find a way to stop Cop City. I don’t know if I can do it,” she said.
the atlanta police foundation said Planned Training Center – dubbed “Cop City” by its detractors – needed to help boost morale and recruiting efforts.
But the facility, which will include a shooting range, mock city and barn building, has faced intense resistance, including Saturday’s protest.
Teran’s mother said she was sorry to hear about the protests in downtown Atlanta six people arrested After businesses had their windows damaged and a police cruiser was left in flames.
“I don’t think violence is going to do anything,” she told protesters in Atlanta, “Don’t throw stones. We need to walk together with candles.
The grieving mother said, “I’m sorry for those who are angry, but I don’t want to be angry for the rest of my life.”