Autopsy Shows Activist Tortuguita Was Sitting With Hands Raised When Shot by Police

The report also revealed that they were shot 14 times.

By James Factora, THEM

This article contains descriptions of fatal police violence.

A queer community organizer who was killed during a police raid in Atlanta was likely sitting cross-legged with their hands up when they were shot multiple times, according to a new independent autopsy.

Tortuguita was killed while protesting the establishment of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, known colloquially as “Cop City,” a proposed training facility for the Atlanta Police Department currently being built in the Weelaunee Forest, which has created a national firestorm.

The activist’s family released the results of the autopsy during a press conference on Monday, which revealed that they were shot at least 14 times. The autopsy report, which was obtained by independent outlet Unicorn Riot, was conducted by Dr. Kris Sperry, a former state medical examiner. The report details that the trajectories of the bullet wounds indicate that Tortuguita was “most probably in a seated position, cross-legged, with the left leg partially over the right leg” at the time of death. It also notes that Tortuguita was able to raise their “hands and arms up and in front” of their body, with palms facing toward their upper body, although it is “impossible to determine” whether or not they had been holding a firearm.

Tortuguita’s mother, Belkis Terán, said that their child “loved the forest, they meditated there, the forest connected them with God,” per VICE.