Atlanta, GA
Diary of Defend the Atlanta Forest protestor can be used in court
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A Fulton County Superior Court judge has ruled the diary of an Atlanta Public Safety Training Center protestor who was killed by police can be used in the trials of other people charged in connection with violent protests over the controversial facility.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams ruled “relevant portions” of the diary can be used in a trial beginning Wednesday for Ayla King, one of more than 60 people charged in connection with the protests.
Before their death, Manuel Teran kept a diary that was filled with diatribes against police and other groups, including such statements as “All cops are bastards because they enforce unjust laws by force,” and that white people “behave like modern racists,” according to a motion filed in Fulton County Superior Court.
State prosecutors have been wanting to use Teran’s diary as proof of what they are calling a criminal enterprise to stop the development of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
Teran was shot and killed during a protest at the site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in January 2023. Last week, Georgia Deputy Attorney General John Fowler filed the motion in Fulton County Superior Court, arguing Teran’s diary consists “of violent anti-police rhetoric and drawings, notes on meetings in the forest, to do lists regarding various tasks including committing crime, philosophical musings about the tyranny of government, and other personal writings.”
Teran was killed at the site, which critics call “Cop City,” when Georgia State Patrol Troopers were clearing the site on Jan. 18. An autopsy report released in April said Teran had been shot at least 57 times. A previous private autopsy report released in February said that Teran was shot “at least 13 times.”
The construction site has been the center of violence and controversy ever since then-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a plan in April 2021 that would turn the forested land into a public safety training facility that would include a shooting range, a mock village and a burn center. Opposition immediately arose from environmental groups, neighborhood associations and racial justice groups.
Last week, activists and police had a confrontation involving tear gas during a march by the group “Block Cop City.” The activists gathered Monday morning at Gresham Park to march in protest of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The march followed a weekend full of events by the group “Block Cop City.”
On Nov. 6, almost 60 of the 61 people who have been arrested and charged with various felonies and misdemeanors were arraigned at the Fulton County courthouse. The defendants are facing RICO charges for allegedly violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office is the lead prosecuting agency.
Supporters are calling the charges a violation of First Amendment rights.
State prosecutors said Teran’s diary shows “significant evidence of a general and larger conspiracy to occupy the land of the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.”
“In addition to a shared goal of occupying the land to prevent the construction of the training center, there is evidence of similar clothing, similar and unique violent action tactics, written documents, verbal statements, financial documents, and similar travel patterns and destinations,” the motion states. “Each defendant in this indictment has specific evidence against them, and each defendant is connected to at least one other defendant by incident, communication, personal connection, financial connection, and/or other connection.”
“All of this evidence links the Defendants back to the Defend the Atlanta Forest criminal enterprise.”
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FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for rookie minicamp this weekend after a flurry of player moves over the last several weeks. General manager Ian Cunningham is not finished making changes to his roster, and the front office has reunited with another former player.
According to a press release from the team, the Falcons have signed cornerback Darren Hall and released safety Tysheem Johnson in a corresponding move.
Hall was originally selected by the franchise in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Over his four seasons with the Falcons (2021-22) and Arizona Cardinals (2024-25), he has appeared in 48 games (12 starts), registering 85 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In the time between his stints in Atlanta and Arizona, Hall was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad (2023).
As a college player for the Aztecs, he tied the FBS lead for pass breakups with 16 in 2019. He appeared in 34 games (22 starts) over his three seasons (2018-20) with San Diego State, recording 134 tackles (101 solo), 31 passes defensed, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection following the 2020 season.
As a pro, Hall’s career has not gone exactly as he would have hoped. 10 of Hall’s starts came with the Falcons, and he largely struggled in 2022. He surrendered 362 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions against 37 targets. The Falcons waived him in August 2023 in favor of rookie Clark Phillips III, Jeff Okudah, Tre Flowers, and Mike Hughes.
Hall is still a versatile player with solid tackling ability, giving him a shot at being a depth cornerback on this roster or earning a spot on the practice squad. He will face stiff competition to earn that spot, with Phillips, Cobee Bryant, Darnay Holmes, Mike Ford Jr., C.J. Henderson, and Natrone Brooks all standing in his way.
For now, he is the second player from that 2021 draft class (Terry Fontenot’s first as a general manager) to receive some form of a second contract (Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged earlier this offseason) – it just did not happen the way anyone expected. Hall now becomes the third former Falcon to join the roster via free agency this offseason after stints with other franchises (Austin Hooper and Olamide Zaccheaus).
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EMS crews often face waits of an hour — or more — to transfer patients into hospital care.
A medical crew wheels a patient across the parking area into Grady Memorial Hospital after parking across the street because the ambulance bay was full on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
Some Georgia ambulances are reaching hospitals with a patient on board and then shifting into park.
And waiting.
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A ambulance leaves the parking bay outside the Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center at Grady Memorial Hospital on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Asia Simone Burns is a rapid response reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
Atlanta, GA
Two Georgia residents monitored after cruise ship hantavirus outbreak, health officials say
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is actively monitoring two Georgia residents who recently returned home after disembarking from the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak that has raised concerns among global health officials.
According to DPH, both individuals are currently in good health and have shown no signs of infection. They are adhering to the latest recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak, which was first reported earlier this week, has health experts on alert due to the rare nature of hantavirus transmission aboard cruise ships.
According to CBS News reporting, the virus typically spreads through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare. The MV Hondius incident marks an unusual case, prompting heightened surveillance and coordination between public health agencies worldwide.
CBS News further reports that the cruise ship, which had been traveling through polar regions, has been thoroughly sanitized, and all passengers have been advised to monitor their health closely.
The CDC and international health agencies are working to trace possible sources of exposure and ensure that protocols are in place to prevent further spread.
At this time, the Georgia DPH emphasizes that there is no immediate risk to the public.
The two monitored residents continue to remain symptom-free, serving as a reminder of the importance of vigilance and rapid response in managing emerging infectious disease threats.
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