KINGSLAND, Ga. – A 33-year-old Georgia man was shot and killed by a Kingsland police officer after a short chase Wednesday night, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The GBI said Anthony Marcell Green was driving with an unidentified passenger about 10:42 p.m. Wednesday when a Kingsland officer followed the vehicle. Green stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Lily and North East streets, and he and the passenger ran off, police said.
Tire tracks were visible Thursday where police said the vehicle stopped.
According to investigators, when the officer who ran after them caught up with Green about two blocks away, "a brief altercation" ended with the officer firing multiple shots that killed Green.
The passenger has not been found, authorities said. The name of the officer involved in the shooting has not been released, but GBI investigators confirmed the officer was wearing a body camera, which they said will be key to the investigation.
Family, loved ones demand answers
Green's family said he was a father of three who went by "Tony," and the nickname "Punch." They want answers about what happened.
"We just want justice. We just want to know what happened, and why did the officer have to shoot him," Green's aunt, Juanetta Mack, said. "All he had to do was Tase him or let him go. He knew who he was."
Relatives said Green was a father of two boys and a daughter. He worked as a manager at a local restaurant. They said they don't know how his children will live without him.
"We're still trying to figure out how to tell (his son), because he loved his daddy. You can see from pictures. If you go on his Facebook page, his Facebook page is all pictures of his son," family friend Takeisha Green said. "He loved his kids. He was a loving man. And this is going to be hard for us to do, to tell his son."
Another family friend also said he was actually in the area when he heard the shooting, but didn't know it involved Tony Green until later.
"I heard seven shots and after those shots I heard no sirens. No sirens! No ambulance, no police, you know. All I heard were seven shots. You know, my friend called me and said someone got shot up over there by the bank," said Torose Jones. "The community wants answers and we want answers now. We've been up here four to five hours and we've not been told anything."
Relatives described Green as a loving father to two sons and a daughter.
"Tony was a smiling face in this community. He speaks to everybody and talks to everybody, but it comes down to him losing his life out here," Jones said. "It's something that could have been prevented."
Russell’s Collision shop says they have surveillance video and 20 cameras on their property. When I asked to see the footage from the night Tony Green was shot they refused. A manager said they would only share the footage if they were subpoenaed. @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/Niw7Qy3AMe
— Jenese Harris (@WJXTJenese) June 21, 2018
Family gathers at community meeting
Green's father Wayne Anderson was one of Green's loved ones who gathered for a community meeting Thursday evening. Anderson said he didn't find out about his son's death until the following morning.
"I got the news from someone in North Dakota who contacted me to give me their condolences and I'm still upset," Anderson said.
Anderson said he and his son were working to build a stronger relationship. He was also learning more about his son's family, but now that's been taken away.
"I get to know his daughter at his funeral. I get to know his daughter at a vigil and I'm not happy about that," Anderson said. “I’m mad, and I’m angry, and I’m not just going to lay down and let this go.”
Green's younger brother Richard Mainor was also at the community meeting. He said his brother was honest, reliable and always had his back.
"When I was about to do something wrong he would stop me from going out the door," Mainor said. "When I was hungry or anything he would make sure I had something to eat. He would help anybody."
Mainor went on to say, "He (Green) was a good man, a very good man and he did not deserve this,"
Memorial for Anthony Green
A memorial cross with Green's name was posted Thursday near where he was shot. The couple who posted it said they saw Green drive pass them off Highway 40, just minutes before he was shot. They too want answers.
They attached a letter to Green to the cross. They said they knew him for nearly 10 years and that he had lived with them at one point.
Teresa Kelly read part of the letter to Green out loud. It ended: "Anyway, sweetheart. You are now up above, and out of this, and in a better place. With God."
The GBI is asking anyone with information about the shooting to call 912-729-6198.