A Georgia State Patrol trooper was shot and killed, and the protester who shot him, during a raid on the site of a proposed Atlanta Police Department training facility on Wednesday, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to officials, the trooper was in the intensive care unit and had surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital. He was shot in the pelvic area while wearing a bulletproof vest at the time.
According to GBI Director Mike Register, several agencies conducted raids near the proposed facility that morning. As officers moved through the property, they discovered a man inside a tent in the woods.
The GBI released a photograph of the tent in which the suspect was discovered.
"We would just like to ask everyone to keep his family in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time," GSP Colonel Chris Wright said.
Officers with guns drawn and trained in the woods were seen by a Channel 2 Action News photographer. At least four people have been arrested, according to the GBI.
Building the training centre is good for the city, according to Register, but he supports the right to protest, even though he believes protesters have crossed the line several times.
"They're putting the community and the citizens in this area in danger," Register said.
Protesters disagreed with the GBI's account of the incident, telling Channel 2's Tom Jones that it was peaceful.
Many people have been outraged by the facility, which has been dubbed "Cop City" by protesters.
Protesters argue that the facility would be detrimental to the community and the environment. The proposed facility would occupy an 85-acre plot off Key Road in Atlanta's largest urban forest.
According to the GBI, the investigation is still ongoing.
There was still a significant police presence outside the proposed facility as of early Wednesday evening.
