activism Police Violence

Cop City Protestor Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Terán’s Independent Autopsy Finds His Hands Were Raised at Time of Death

 Memorial for Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Terán (Sean Summers)

By Alex Binder / Unicorn Riot

Decatur, GA – The family of Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Esteban Paez Terán held a press conference Monday morning outside the Historic DeKalb Courthouse to release the full autopsy of Tortuguita and to discuss the lawsuit the family filed this week against the City of Atlanta under the Georgia Open Records Act. 

Our live coverage is below:

Tortuguita was shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol on January 18 in the South River Forest as they were dedicating their time to the diverse ‘Stop Cop City’ movement.

Belkis Terán sitting in the position that the autopsy by Dr. Kris Sperry reports Tortuguita was in when they were shot and killed by Georgia State Patrol on Jan. 18. Photo from our live coverage of a press conference following a family rally and march in Atlanta on March 11, 2023.

The autopsy conducted of Tortuguita at the request of their family by Dr. Kris Sperry has found that when Tortuguita was shot and killed, their hands were raised in the air. According to the family’s lawyers, “The autopsy further reveals that Manuel was most probably in a seated position, cross-legged when killed.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says they have conducted their own autopsy, however they have yet to reveal the report.


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