ATLANTA — Police, GBI agents, construction crews and more are making their way into the proposed site of an Atlanta police training facility in DeKalb County.
Channel 2 Action News crews on the scene report seeing SWAT teams, as well as police from Atlanta and DeKalb County game wardens at the facility site.
Construction crews are also on the scene moving their equipment into the area.
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The site, located in a portion of unincorporated DeKalb County, has been the target of protesters for months.
Last month, a Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot by one of the protesters, Manuel Teran, while authorities were removing protesters who had been living in the forest. Teran was killed by return fire.
Fellow protesters have continually claimed since Teran’s death that they are peaceful.
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Days after Teran’s death, a peaceful protest in the streets of downtown Atlanta turned violent when a police car was set on fire and windows to businesses were smashed.
Since December, 13 people have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism related to the training facility.
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The proposed facility would take up an 85-acre plot off Key Road in the largest urban forest in metro Atlanta.
Protesters who say they are defending what they call the “Atlanta Forest” have occupied the land for months in makeshift camps. Protesters have said they opposed the creation of the police training facility, which they call “Cop City.”
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