ATLANTA — Law enforcement officials responded Sunday evening to reports of a fire at at the construction site for the new Atlanta Police Department training facility.
Heavy smoke could be seen miles away from the site in DeKalb County, according to Channel 2 Action News.
DeKalb police have blocked off the roads leading to the facility, the news station reported.
Various groups who have protested against the site view the training center as an effort by Atlanta to “militarize” the police while also compromising the environment by building a center on land that they say should be preserved and cleaned up. The city says the center is a much-needed and long-overdue training facility for Atlanta’s police officers and firefighters.
The conflict over the project attracted national attention after a Georgia State Patrol trooper in January fatally shot protester Manuel Teran at the training site. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Teran shot first and wounded the trooper as the state tried to clear the property of protesters.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said last week that the city is creating a new task force to address concerns surrounding the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center site.
In December when a fire was reported, a dumpster was set ablaze at the site and police were greeted by a group of protesters who hurled rocks at firefighters and set off firecrackers, according to Atlanta and DeKalb police.
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