‘Cop City’: Georgian law enforcement agencies are conducting a ‘clearance operation’ while construction of a police facility begins

(CNN) Law enforcement in Georgia on Monday conducted a “clearance operation” at the proposed site of a $90 million police training facility dubbed “Cop City” by opponents — nearly three weeks after a similar operation that resulted in fatal shootings by Officials ended a protester.

“To ensure the site of the City of Atlanta’s future Public Safety Training Center is safe and secure, the (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) along with other law enforcement partners conducted an operation to identify individuals who were illegally trespassing and/or trespassing engaging in criminal activity on the property,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in a statement. “During this operation, police made no arrests.”

The operation involved the Atlanta Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol, and a handful of other police, fire, and prosecutor’s agencies.

Pictures of the scene showed heavily armed police officers as well as construction machinery and crews at the construction site.

Law enforcement and construction crews were seen Monday at the future site of the $90 million police training facility.

The police operation is the latest effort in a controversial push to build an 85-acre law enforcement facility complete with a shooting range, mock town and incendiary building in a wooded area of ​​Atlanta and neighboring DeKalb County.

However, the project has faced fierce opposition from protesters such as the Stop Cop City group due to its environmental impact and further militarization of the police force. Opponents have camped at the site for months trying to prevent construction on the site, leading to some violent clashes with police and aggressive domestic terrorism charges.

About three weeks ago, law enforcement conducted a “clearance operation” and shot and killed Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, a 26-year-old activist who police said had shot dead a state officer.

The police killing sparked protests in downtown Atlanta that police say turned destructive when some in the crowd smashed windows and attacked police vehicles.

Despite the controversy, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced last week that the city and DeKalb County had reached an agreement to move forward with the police training facility. According to the mayor, much of the 385-hectare land will be under conservation.

“The city of Atlanta has the most extensive training requirements in the Southeast, our training covers key areas such as desecration training techniques, mental health, community policing, crisis intervention training, as well as civil rights history. This training needs space and that is exactly what this training center will provide,” said Dickens.

The activist was shot more than a dozen times, the family says

Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, 26, was fatally shot by police during a protest at Atlanta’s proposed Cop City training facility.

Details of what happened during Terán’s deadly interaction with police remain unclear.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Terán disobeyed verbal orders and then shot and killed a Georgia State Patrol Trooper, prompting police to return fire. The injured soldier was in stable condition afterwards, the bureau said.

The handgun used in the shooting was bought by Terán, according to the FBI.

At a news conference Monday, lawyers for Terán’s family criticized the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for not releasing information about the police shooting and ignoring requests to meet family members.

A private autopsy found Terán had been shot more than a dozen times by multiple different firearms, the lawyers said.

Terán graduated from Florida State University and was committed to environmental protection, Terán’s mother Belkis said.

“All Manuel wanted to do was protect the forest, preserve the good of the land for all people, raise awareness and help organize different communities. They had no malice or intention to commit illegal acts,” she said, adding that they were pacifists who have no intention of using violence to defend themselves. “Manuel was a defender of the forest. Manuel had a heart full of love for people, animals and trees.”

Family attorney Jeff Filipovitz also criticized law enforcement’s persistent use of domestic terrorism charges against protesters who occupied the Cop City compound.

“We used to call this a sit-in protest. Now it’s terrorism,” he said.

After the press conference, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation released a statement pledging a thorough investigation. The office also said they spoke to Terán’s family when the investigation began and would not be releasing a video for the time being.

“GBI agents are still in the process of reviewing numerous body-worn camera videos related to this incident,” the statement said. “Any video recovered in connection with the case, including audio, will be analyzed as part of the investigative process. We are not releasing videos at this time as agents continue to conduct important interviews and maintain the integrity of the investigation.”

Investigations into shootings involving officers typically take 60 to 90 days, the bureau said. Upon completion, the file will be turned over to a special prosecutor, the office said.

Correction: A previous version of this article contained quotes misidentifying Manuel Esteban Paez Terán.

CNN’s Jaide Timm-Garcia contributed to this report.