ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has confirmed that Manuel Teran’s handgun fired the shot that injured a trooper.
Teran, whose friends called him Tortuguita, was shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol troopers on Wednesday morning after investigators said Teran shot a trooper without warning.
The trooper, who isn’t being identified due to safety concerns, remains hospitalized with injuries to his pelvis.
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Friends and fellow protestors of Teran have repeatedly claimed to Channel 2 Action News that they are peacefully protesting.
The GBI says that forensic ballistic analysis confirmed that the bullet recovered from the trooper’s wound matches Teran’s handgun that was recovered at the scene.
Mike Register, the Director of the GBI, said the protesters are not peaceful, but were violent on many occasions.
“Arson, attacking citizens, shooting police officers, using explosives,” Register said at a news conference Wednesday.
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Agents identified the gun as a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm.
GBI Director Mike Register said several agencies raided near the proposed facility site Wednesday morning to clear the area of protesters who have been occupying the property for months. As law enforcement moved in, officers found Teran inside a tent in the woods.
Officers gave verbal commands to Teran to come out, but they were not complied with. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Teran then shot a Georgia State Patrol Trooper. That’s when officers returned fire in self-defense, according to the GBI.
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After the shooting, seven of Teran’s fellow protestors were arrested and charged with domestic terrorism and criminal trespass.
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