ATLANTA — Law enforcement was out en masse Monday morning at the site of Atlanta’s proposed public safety training center, clearing the woods in anticipation of construction on the controversial facility beginning in earnest.
SWAT teams from the Atlanta and DeKalb County police departments, as well as Georgia State Patrol troopers and representatives from other agencies, were seen at the site in southwest DeKalb County.
The operation was taking place several days after officials announced that initial land disturbance permits had been approved for the $90 million facility — and about three weeks after a similar clearing operation resulted in the death of 26-year-old Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran.
During that fatal Jan. 18 incident, Teran is accused of firing at troopers “without warning,” wounding one. Teran died after several other troopers returned fire, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has said.
Family members and attorneys for Teran were set to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Monday in Decatur.
An independent autopsy found that Teran was shot 13 times. The family is asking for more transparency about the shooting.
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