Radical leftists have for months terrorized builders, first responders, and law-abiding Georgians near the new police training center in DeKalb County’s South River Forest. In previous attacks — some of which have been branded instances of domestic terrorism — they have thrown Molotov cocktails at police and firefighters, sabotaged equipment, torched vehicles, and hurled gas bombs.
On Wednesday, one leftist crossed the blue line and paid the price.
Showdown in the woods
The GBI noted that law enforcement officers were conducting a coordinated operation to “identify people who were trespassing and committing other crimes on the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center,” a center dubbed “Cop City” by radicals.
Several people were arrested over the course of the operation.
Troopers came across a trespasser inside a tent when clearing out a wooded area near Constitution Road around 9 a.m., where just a month earlier, six leftists had been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers gave verbal commands to the man. Instead of complying, he reportedly fired multiple shots at officers without warning, striking a Georgia State Patrol trooper in the gut.
According to the Associated Press, officers answered back with a chorus of gunfire, killing the leftist gunman.
A handgun and shell casings were located at the scene.
The Atlanta Community Press Collective, an extremist-aligned online publication, claimed that the gunman was Manuel Teran who “used they/it pronouns.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the wounded trooper, who has not yet been identified, was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and is presently in stable condition.
Georgia State Patrol Col. Chris Wright indicated that while the trooper is in stable condition, “he’s not out of the woods yet.”
Georgia Bureau of Investigation update on trooper, protestor shot near ‘Cop City’youtu.be
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) tweeted, “Marty, the girls, and I are praying for this brave Trooper and public safety officers across all law enforcement agencies today. As our thoughts remain with him and his family, our resolve also remains steadfast and strong to see criminals brought to justice.”
Leftist extremists vow more violence
Leftists were apparently invigorated by this bloodletting.
Some reportedly took to the streets, blocking a busy intersection near the complex, chanting “Stop Cop City!” and “If you build it, we will burn it!”
The website “Scenes from the Atlanta Forest,” whereon local leftists frequently coordinate and celebrate their attacks, published a post on Thursday calling for retaliation.
“The worst has come to pass,” said the post. “An unnamed forest defender has been shot and killed in Weelaunee. Consider this a call for reciprocal violence to be done to the police and their allies. On Friday, January 20th, wherever you are, you are invited to participate in a night of rage in order to honor the memory of our fallen comrade.”
“Make them pay,” the author said, apparently hoping to incite further violence against officers of the law.
The post was signed, “Defenders of the Forest.”
The group to whom the post was attributed told Fox News Digital that it is “a broad, diverse, decentralized movement to defend the Atlanta forest” and that they are not affiliated with Scenes from the Atlanta forest.
In a corresponding set of tweets from a now suspended account, the violent leftist group wrote, “Now is the time for bravery. Take care of each other. Be dangerous together.”
The group claimed on its website that it seeks to “create a peaceful society that does not treat human life as expendable,” while calling the defensive shooting of an attempted cop-killer a “tragedy.”
The Atlanta Community Press Collective, similarly linked to the violent leftists trespassing near the police training center, claimed that the man who allegedly attempted to murder law enforcement officers was a “forest defender [killed] for loving this earth, for taking a stand against the ongoing destruction of the planet and its people.”
The collective said in a post, “We will not go quietly into this dark night. RIP, with love and solidarity.”
GBI Director Mike Register told reporters, ‘We’re dealing not with protesters but with criminals.”
TheBlaze previously reported on the hard line law enforcement is taking on violence committed by leftists in the area.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told the Journal-Constitution., “The discourse of opposition is in city halls, it is in the public square, it is on the sidewalks. That is where you note your displeasure or your disagreement. … It is not in Molotov cocktails. It is not in shooting fireworks at firefighters … it is not throwing rocks at our squad cars. That is criminal activity.”
District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a release, “I strongly believe in the right to peacefully protest for what one believes is right and just. However, I draw the line at violence, destruction of property, and threatening and causing harm to others. … The alleged acts of violence at the training facility site put the public in grave danger, and will not be tolerated.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) tweeted in December, “We will not rest when it comes to bringing domestic terrorists to justice, and these arrests should serve as a strong reminder of that.”
‘Cop City’ ‘clearing operation’ turns violent; injuries trooper, protester diesyoutu.be
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!