Large police presence seen in southeast Atlanta as officers serve warrant

ATLANTA - A large police presence was located in the Lakewood area of southeast Atlanta Saturday morning. Atlanta Police have only confirmed they were out serving a warrant. Meanwhile, activists said they were raiding a property where "Stop Cop City" protesters were camping out.

The activists said about two dozen of them were detained, but no word on any arrests.

FOX 5 spoke with a man who lives on a piece of property located at Schell Road SE where he said police arrived that morning to serve the search warrant. He said he is not involved with the "Stop Cop City" movement.

Evan Cohen said the property is known as LEAF, or Lakewood Environmental Arts Foundation. It's a non-profit that provides food to individuals and families in need, according to its website. Cohen said there were "maybe 20" activists there camping outside in tents.

He told FOX 5 he wasn't sure who or how, but someone had opened the lawn to protesters trying to defend the forest where the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, often called ‘Cop City’ by those against it, is expected to be built.

"I got home kind of late four nights ago, I saw a bunch of people camped out on the lawn. I didn't know what was going on," Cohen said. "They were like, ‘There’s a rumor we might get raided,' and I was like, ‘For what?’ ‘We don’t know'."

Cohen said when police arrived, he was thrown to the ground as the search warrant was served.

"I cooperated. I cooperated I said I have no weapons," Cohen said. "I have no drugs, I said who I am. 100 cops had their guns on me like I’m some kind of terrorist."

The raid came just a day after attorneys for the family of Manuel ‘Tortuguita’ Teran, who was shot and killed by police in the South River Forest in January, said their independent autopsy showed his hands were raised.

"I need to know as a mother what happened, I beg with all my heart to understand what is going on here in this forest," said Belkis Teran, Manuel's mother.

The DeKalb County Medical Examiners' Office has not released the official autopsy, and the GBI said it stands by its initial narrative that Teran shot at officers.

FOX 5 is working to learn new details in this incident and will provide updates from the Atlanta Police Department as they become available.