CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. – More than a month after a Jacksonville man was shot and killed by St. Marys police, his family is continuing to call for answers — and transparency.
Gregory Paige, 27, was fatally shot inside an apartment at the Cumberland Oaks complex after police responded to reports that he was threatening someone.
His family, alongside the NAACP Camden County branch, gathered Sunday outside the Camden County Courthouse to demand the release of body camera footage from the incident.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is now leading the case. So far, the District Attorney’s Office has not said when, or if, the footage will be made public.
A cellphone video recorded by a witness is currently the only footage available to the public.
Though dark and unsteady, the video appears to show officers running toward the apartment and back up a stairwell before several gunshots ring out.
According to the police report, one officer said he saw a muzzle flash and fired in response. However, the report does not mention a weapon being recovered at the scene.
“We’re not looking to blame anyone — we just want to know what happened,” said Catherine Paige, Gregory’s aunt. “If the officers only interacted with him for 6 seconds, and he didn’t have a weapon, why was deadly force necessary?”
Paige was a father of four, and his family says the emotional toll of his death continues to grow.
Catherine said Halloween is going to be really hard this year, because her nephew was the one who always hung up her decorations. She added that he was the one the family called on for help.
His youngest daughter turned 1 year old on the day of the rally, making the family’s grief even more painful.
“That’s why justice is needed,” Catherine added. “Because we shouldn’t have had to bury my nephew. He got four kids, and one of their birthdays is today, and she turns 1.”
She added that Gregory died on his twins’ birthday.
The NAACP has joined the Paige family in urging the District Attorney to release the full body cam footage, citing growing concerns from the community.
“We’re asking for transparency,” said Timothy Bessent, president of the NAACP Camden County branch. “People are scared to call the police, and that shouldn’t be the case. We need to see what happened inside that apartment.”
Family members say they continue to analyze the limited cellphone footage they do have, but believe only the body camera video can provide the answers they’re seeking.
The GBI has not announced a timeline for when its investigation will be completed or whether the body camera footage will be released.