FATAL ENCOUNTER

Georgia Activist Killed by Cops Had Gunshot ‘Residue’ on Hands, Police Say

A new report suggests the environmental activist opened fire at cops before being struck down by bullets.

Authorities say a probe into the fatal police shooting of an environmental activist at the future site of Atlanta’s controversial “Cop City” revealed that the slain protester, Manuel Teran, had “particles characteristic of gunshot primer residue” on his hands. The claim, released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, suggests Teran may have opened fire on officers before being gunned down—though the report acknowledges that gunshot victims can have residue on them without firing a weapon. It’s the latest revelation to emerge in the mysterious death of Teran, which has been decried as murder by fellow activists, and as an act of self-defense by law enforcement. An autopsy report revealed last week that Teran suffered 57 gunshot wounds in the shooting on Jan. 18. A cop was briefly hospitalized with a gunshot wound in the incident, but body-cam footage released in February suggests the wound may have been from friendly fire.