Listen Now: We Came to the Forest

Summary

Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD

Episode: We Came to the Forest

Release Date: January 27, 2025

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Introduction: Unveiling Hidden Truths

In the gripping premiere episode of Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD, titled "We Came to the Forest," host Matthew Scher delves into a tragic and enigmatic confrontation between activists and law enforcement in the depths of an Atlanta forest. This episode sets the stage for an investigative journey, uncovering layers of secrecy, conflicting testimonies, and potential cover-ups surrounding a deadly shootout that has left a community in turmoil.

Vienna Forrest: A Life on the Edge

The narrative centers around Vienna Forrest, an activist whose life takes a violent turn. Scher paints a vivid picture of Vienna's tumultuous month leading up to the fateful event:

"It's been a long, rough month for Vienna, the longest in some ways she can remember, and she spent much of it lying low, crashing on the floor at a friend's house." [01:06]

Despite her struggles, Vienna finds solace and support in her partner, Tortuguita, affectionately known as "little turtle" in Spanish. Their relationship is portrayed as a source of comfort and stability amidst chaos:

"Were always just like someone I felt comfortable with. They were I'm feeling bad, I can lay my head on their chest and they'd comfort me." [02:35]

A Date to Remember: The Starlight Drive-In

Seeking normalcy, Vienna and Tortuguita decide to rekindle their spirits with a date night. They opt for a nostalgic outing to the Starlight Drive-In, one of Atlanta's last remaining real drive-ins, renowned for its vintage neon sign.

"Me and Tort save on tickets, hid under a blanket and the person manning the gate caught us. They're like, next time tell your friends to hide their legs better because Torte's legs were sticking out from under the blanket. But they let us go through." [02:10]

Their evening is intimate and reflective, watching the horror film "Megan," which resonates with Vienna's current emotional state.

"The modern day Chucky, if you will." [02:51]

As the movie progresses, Vienna observes her partner's unwavering resolve, hinting at deeper tensions and uncertainties:

"Watching them, they seem like they didn't have a care in the world. Or at least they didn't show it. They had this sort of resolve about things and they just. It seemed like they were just ready for whatever was to come." [03:05]

The Forest Confrontation: Chaos Unleashed

Roughly 36 hours after their tranquil date, a dramatic and violent encounter unfolds in the nearby forest. A joint task force, composed of officers from multiple agencies, embarks on a mission to clear activists protesting the construction of a massive police training facility.

The officers, fraught with tension and warnings about potential dangers, are depicted as navigating a precarious situation:

"They've been warned in a briefing about the possibility of booby traps and even improvised explosive devices. But they're doing their best not to let it show." [04:16]

As they methodically pack up tents in the stillness of the night, an unexpected disturbance erupts:

"Can you get the fuck out, please?" [04:16]

This outburst shatters the uneasy calm, leading to heightened adrenaline among the officers:

"Oh, shit. Is this target purpose?" [04:30]

Responding swiftly to the chaos, the squad moves toward the sound of gunfire, with Vienna witnessing the unfolding violence:

"That sounded like suppressed gun violence." [05:11]

Building Tension: Diverging Narratives

The episode meticulously illustrates the escalating tension between activists and law enforcement, highlighting the fragility of their coexistence. Scher emphasizes the conflicting perspectives and the murky circumstances that surround the shootout, setting the foundation for deeper exploration in subsequent episodes.

"...a web of conflicting testimonies, missing evidence and allegations of a cover up." [00:00]

Conclusion: A Quest for Justice and Truth

"We Came to the Forest" serves as a powerful introduction to the series, probing the complexities of justice, activism, and the intricate motivations that drive both sides of the conflict. As society grapples with the evolving role of policing, this episode challenges listeners to reevaluate their understanding of justice and the lengths individuals will go to protect their beliefs.

"What actually happened in the forest?" [00:00]

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Key Takeaways:

• Personal Struggles and Relationships: Vienna Forrest's personal challenges and her supportive relationship with Tortuguita provide a humanizing backdrop to the larger conflict.

• Historic Venue as a Setting: The Starlight Drive-In symbolizes a fading era, juxtaposing the timelessness of personal connections against the backdrop of modern-day conflicts.

• Escalation to Violence: The meticulous buildup to the forest shootout underscores the volatility of interactions between activists and law enforcement, hinting at underlying systemic issues.

• Narrative of Conflict and Cover-Up: The episode hints at deeper layers of deception and mismanagement within law enforcement, setting the stage for an investigative deep dive.

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Notable Quotes:

• Vienna Forrest on Comfort and Trust:

  "Were always just like someone I felt comfortable with. They were I'm feeling bad, I can lay my head on their chest and they'd comfort me." [02:35]

• Officer's Frustration During the Confrontation:

  "Can you get the fuck out, please?" [04:16]

• Vienna's Observation on Violence:

  "That sounded like suppressed gun violence." [05:11]

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For those eager to unravel the full story behind this tragic confrontation, "We Came to the Forest" offers an immersive and thought-provoking narrative, inviting listeners to question and understand the hidden dynamics of policing and activism.

Transcript

[Matthew Scher]

In the depths of an Atlanta forest, a clash between activists and authorities ended in tragedy. But the official narrative doesn't add up. We Came to the Forest is a new investigative podcast from Wondery Campsite Media and Tenderfoot tv. It peels back the layers of secrecy surrounding a deadly confrontation that shook a community to its core. Through exclusive recordings and never before release eyewitness accounts, host Matthew Scher exposes the hidden truths behind a nighttime shootout that left one activist dead and countless lives forever changed by a web of conflicting testimonies, missing evidence and allegations of a cover up. Reaching the highest levels of law enforcement. From the idealistic dreams of young environmentalists to the complex motivations of local officials, this story challenges our understanding of justice, activism and the lengths people will go to to protect what they believe in. What actually happened in the forest? You're about to hear a clip from We Came to the Forest Follow We Came to the Forest on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator]

Campsite Media On a chilly evening in January, an activist named Vienna Forrest goes on a date with her partner in Atlanta. It's been a long, rough month for Vienna, the longest in some ways she can remember, and she spent much of it lying low, crashing on the floor at a friend's house. Her partner, who goes by Tortuguita, that's little turtle in Spanish, has decided that it's time for her to get out of the house.

[Vienna Forrest]

And we went to get Vietnamese and Mexican food, just got a whole buffet and Tortequito's like at their peak. They were so happy they quit cigarettes. They were just really doing good.

[Narrator]

A couple hours later, Vienna and Torte pack into a sedan along with two other friends and drive across town to a movie theater called the Starlight. The Starlight's pretty famous in Atlanta. It's one of the last real drive ins in the country. Still has that old school neon sign out front.

[Vienna Forrest]

Me and Tort save on tickets, hid under a blanket and the person manning the gate caught us. They're like, next time tell your friends to hide their legs better because Torte's legs were sticking out from under the blanket. But they let us go through.

[Narrator]

The couple stays there together, curled up in the backseat, hands laced together in the dark. Even as the movie gets underway, they.

[Vienna Forrest]

Were always just like someone I felt comfortable with. They were I'm feeling bad, I can lay my head on their chest and they'd comfort me.

[Narrator]

The film that night at the Starlight is Megan, the one about the overprotective, malignant doll.

[Vienna Forrest]

The modern day Chucky, if you will. Took a while for me to remember what the movie was because I wasn't paying attention to the movie so much, but yeah.

[Narrator]

As the movie winds down, Vienna turns to her partner.

[Vienna Forrest]

Watching them, they seem like they didn't have a care in the world. Or at least they didn't show it. They had this sort of resolve about things and they just. It seemed like they were just ready for whatever was to come.

[Narrator]

About 36 hours after the date at the drive in, in an event that will permanently, violently alter the trajectory of Vienna's life, a joint task force of law enforcement officers sweeps through a forest a few miles to the southeast. This task force, made up of dozens of officers from several different agencies, has been assigned to clear the woods of activists who are camping there in an attempt to stop the construction of the largest police training facility in the country. These officers are nervous. They've been warned in a briefing about the possibility of booby traps and even improvised explosive devices. But they're doing their best not to let it show. As they press forward, packing up vacant tents with knives, they joke about what they'll say if they happen to find one occupied.

[Vienna Forrest]

Sir, quick question. Can you get the fuck out, please?

[Narrator]

There's some more laughter and then everything just kind of shatters open.

[Vienna Forrest]

Oh, shit. Is this target purpose?

[Narrator]

Surprised, unnerved, the officers tense up, drop their hands to their sidearms. The mood now is adrenalized. Sharp edged, the squadron of cops begin to move towards the sound of the gunfire. A very faint transmission comes over the radio from just across the forest. Man.

[Vienna Forrest]

That sounded like suppressed gun violence.

[Narrator]

From Wondery Campside Media and Tenderfoot tv. Hi, I'm Matthew Sher and this is We Came to the Forest. This is episode one, Paradise Found. Foreign.

[Matthew Scher]

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