Georgia Bureau of Investigation update on police officer, protester shot near ‘Cop City’
State law enforcement agencies have provided an update on the active investigation into a shooting involving a Georgia State Patrol trooper and a protester at a Cop City location in DeKalb County.
ATLANTA – A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot and a protester was killed during a confrontation near the site of the controversial “Cop City” police training facility in Atlanta on Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Safety confirmed.
The shooting occurred during a “clearance operation” at the scene around 10 a.m., Col. Chris Wright of the Georgia Department of Public Safety said at a news conference at Grady Memorial Hospital.
At some point, Wright says a protester fired a shot, striking the officer. Officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Michael Register said the protester opened fire first. This happened while law enforcement was clearing an area in the forest.
“An individual, without warning, shot and killed a Georgia State Patrol trooper,” Register said. “Other law enforcement officers returned fire in self-defense and evacuated the soldier to a safe area.” The person who fired at law enforcement and shot the soldier was killed in the exchange of gunfire.”
The Georgia State Patrol investigates near the scene of an alleged shooting on January 18, 2023. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Wright said the wounded soldier is out of surgery and in stable condition in the intensive care unit. He was shot in the “pelvis area” and was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Authorities have not released the identity of the soldier or the person killed in the incident.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to DeKalb County, where the investigation is underway.
Law enforcement outside Grady Hospital in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
The register says there are people in custody. He called the law enforcement response to the protests “complex” and said some people involved in the alleged criminal activity were organized, while others were acting as individuals.
“They are endangering the community and the citizens around that area,” Register said.
In an email to FOX 5 Atlanta, the organization Stop Cop City ATL said it was “unclear” whether the Georgia State Patrol trooper was injured by “police fire, protestor or police-induced action.”
“Police repeatedly raided protest camps in Weelaunee Forest, harassed and detained neighbors walking in the park, and attacked protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets,” the statement read in part. “During past attacks, police have consistently escalated violent tactics against protestors (sic) who were sitting in trees or standing in a public park. In many cases, they were cutting tree branches and pulling ropes out from under trees, looking in a manner likely to cause serious injury or death. Today’s action began with multiple armed police closing a public road and pointing guns at the park.”
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp responded to the news of the state trooper’s injury. He took a hard line against the Cop City protesters.
GOV. GEORGIA RESPONDS TO PROTESTS IN ‘POLICE CITY’.
“As our thoughts remain with him and his family, our resolve also remains steadfast and strong to see the criminals brought to justice,” Kemp said.
DeKalb County Executive Michael Thurmond said officials support law enforcement.
“DeKalb County government offers its thoughts and prayers for the speedy recovery of the Georgia State Patrol trooper shot today in DeKalb County,” Thurmond said in a statement. “DeKalb County will continue to cooperate and provide support to the multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task force charged with maintaining peace and security.”
This story is evolving. Check back for details. If you have additional information, photos or video email newstipsatlanta@fox.com.
What is Cop City?
Fight between protesters and police continues in ‘Cop City’ after five charges
Five people are facing domestic terrorism charges over allegations about their method of protesting at a planned site for what critics are calling “Cop City”. Both sides claim the other is using violent tactics.
The wooded area to the southeast Atlanta has been the site of several protests since 2021 when the city voted in favor of building the facility near the site of the former Atlanta prison farm after weeks of protests. The training center will include a shooting range, classrooms, a model village, an emergency vehicle driving course, stables for police horses and a “burn building” where firefighters can practice putting out fires.
Groups opposed to law enforcement and the first aid training facility call it an expansion of the police state that threatens the Atlanta forest.
The 85-acre property is owned by the city of Atlanta, but sits just outside city limits in unincorporated DeKalb County and includes a former state penitentiary farm.
Opponents of the training center were protesting for the month by building platforms in the surrounding trees and camping at the site. They say the $90 million project, to be built by the Atlanta Police Foundation, involves cutting down so many trees that it would be harmful to the environment. They also oppose investing so much money in what they call “Cop City,” which they say will be used to practice “urban warfare.”
PROTESTERS CONDEMN POLICE TACTICS FOLLOWING DOMESTIC TERRORISM ARRESTS AROUND CENGEI CITY SITE
Multiple people were arrested at the scene on charges including domestic terrorism. The most recent arrests were made in December, when police arrested five people as they tried to remove barricades blocking access to the site.
In that case, officials say firefighters and police officers were attacked with rocks and incendiary weapons.
Earlier this year, Gov. Brian Kemp called the group part of a group of “militant activists who have committed similar acts of domestic terrorism across the country,” saying it would bring “full force against those who seek to achieve a radical agenda through violent means.”
Groups providing legal support to the protesters claimed that they were not armed and did not show violence, arguing that the police were engaged in an assault campaign against the movement.
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