ATLANTA — Atlanta City Council wants all Georgia troopers and Bureau of Investigation agents to wear body cameras -- and they passed a resolution to make its point.
During Monday's regularly scheduled meeting, the council nearly unanimously voted to pass a resolution that calls on Georgia state lawmakers to mandate body-worn cameras for all law enforcement officers responding on behalf of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia State Patrol troopers.
Currently, GSP and the GBI do not require their law enforcement to wear body cameras.
This became a point of contention after the death of Manuel Esteban Paez Terán.
The climate activist was killed at the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in January during a shootout with troopers during a clearing operation. The site has been dubbed 'Cop City' by those who oppose its construction.
The GBI maintains that the 26-year-old was shot and killed after the activist fired at GSP troopers. Paez Terán's family and the Defend The Atlanta Forest movement said the young activist was a pacifist and contest the law enforcement narrative surrounding the incident.
As the shooting happened with troopers, there's no law enforcement body camera video of the actual incident, only video of portions of the clearing operation and the aftermath of the shooting from Atlanta Police Department officers who were at the site.
Though Atlanta City Council's resolution doesn't enforce any new regulations or impose a mandate, it serves as a symbol of urgency for the General Assembly.
Georgia State Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents parts of Atlanta, previously told 11Alive that the idea behind the push for body cameras on state law enforcement officers is to eliminate future situations like this one.
"I've certainly spoken to law enforcement officers who agree that body cameras are a best practice in the industry and something that is encouraged. And the Georgia State Patrol encourages the use of body cameras," Esteves said. "By requiring that usage while they are in duty, I think we are not only protecting those officers, we're also protecting our citizens."
Esteves previously said he plans to bring the issue up in the next legislative session.