Latest news with #RogerFortson
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Judge rules that deputy who shot DeKalb airman can't seek employment
The Florida sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a U.S. airman from DeKalb County will not be allowed to leave the county to get a job. Airman Roger Fortson was shot and killed as he opened the door to his apartment in May 2024. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Deputy Eddie Duran Jr. is charged with manslaughter and appeared in an Okaloosa County courtroom on Tuesday for a motions hearing. Channel 2's Audrey Washington was the only Atlanta reporter in the courtroom. She'll have the latest details, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m. On Tuesday afternoon, the judge denied a motion, meaning that Duran cannot leave Okaloosa County to seek employment elsewhere. RELATED STORIES: Lawsuit filed in shooting death of US airman Florida deputy charged with manslaughter in death of DeKalb airman 'I can't breathe:' Girlfriend of airman shot to death by Florida deputies reveals his last moments Deputy who shot, killed Airman Roger Fortson has been fired over unreasonable deadly force Hundreds pack funeral for Roger Fortson, the Black airman killed in his home by a Florida deputy While responding to a disturbance call at Fortson's apartment complex, Fortson was shot and killed. Body camera video showed the airman answer the door holding his legally registered gun pointed toward the floor. It was later determined that there was no disturbance at Fortson's apartment. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family sues after U.S. Airman killed by Florida deputy in his own home
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief The family of Roger Fortson, a Black U.S. airman, filed a wrongful death lawsuit after he was fatally shot by a deputy responding to a false domestic call. Deputy Eddie Duran has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in the May 2024 shooting. The case has sparked national outcry over policing, race, and accountability in law enforcement. ORLANDO, Fla. - The family of Roger Fortson, a Black U.S. airman, filed a wrongful death lawsuit after he was fatally shot by a deputy responding to a false domestic call. 'He had a life ahead of him' What we know On May 3, 2024, Deputy Eddie Duran shot and killed Senior Airman Roger Fortson inside Fortson's own apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The deputy had responded to a 911 call about a domestic disturbance allegedly coming from Fortson's unit. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, died Friday, May 3, following an incident at his off-base residence. Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron. He entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019. [Credit: U.S. Air Force] When Fortson opened the door, he was shot within seconds. He was alone and on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend at the time. Duran has since been charged with manslaughter with a firearm and has pleaded not guilty. Fortson was a 23-year-old Black airman assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field. What we don't know It remains unclear why Fortson's apartment was identified as the location of the reported disturbance or what information the apartment complex staff provided to the deputy. Authorities have not fully disclosed the body camera footage or other details about Duran's actions in the moments leading up to the shooting. Additionally, it's uncertain whether the justice system in Okaloosa County will conduct a trial that Fortson's family and supporters deem fair. The backstory This incident joins a broader national conversation about police use of force, especially in cases involving Black victims. Fortson's death has prompted comparisons to other high-profile killings of Black Americans by law enforcement, including those of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols, and George Floyd. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented families in many of those cases, is now representing Fortson's family. The case also intersects with ongoing military efforts to address racial disparities within its ranks. Big picture view The shooting has reignited concerns about systemic issues in law enforcement accountability and racial bias, particularly in areas like the Florida Panhandle. Okaloosa County has a reputation for rarely charging officers for on-duty killings, and convictions are even rarer. Fortson's death adds pressure on local and federal systems to reassess police response protocols, training standards, and the role of racial dynamics in use-of-force cases. What they're saying Deputy Eddie Duran was responding to a domestic disturbance report at Fortson's apartment that turned out to be false. "I want accountability because he was 23. I want accountability because he had a life ahead of him. I want accountability because he was in his own home," said Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson, at a news conference. It is highly unusual for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged for an on-duty killing. Convictions in such cases are even rarer. "This is not policing. This is an unlawful execution," said Ben Crump, the family's attorney. "We believe Roger's death was a result of a pattern and practice here in Okaloosa County," Crump added, criticizing what he called systemic issues in the sheriff's office. Meka Fortson also expressed deep skepticism about local justice. "I have no faith in Okaloosa County," she said, casting doubt that her son's case would receive a fair trial in the area where the deputy worked. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: The Source This story was written based on reporting by the Associated Press, information released by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and statements provided during a news conference held by Ben Crump, the family's attorney.
CBS News
07-05-2025
- CBS News
Family sues over Florida deputy's killing of Black U.S. airman, alleging excessive and unconstitutional use of deadly force
The family of a U.S. airman who was shot by a Florida sheriff's deputy inside his own home sued the deputy, the sheriff and the owner of the airman's apartment complex on Tuesday, saying they want to ensure people are held accountable for his 2024 death. The complaint alleges that Deputy Eddie Duran used excessive and unconstitutional deadly force when he shot Roger Fortson just seconds after the Black senior airman opened his apartment door in Fort Walton Beach on May 3, 2024. Duran was responding to a domestic disturbance report at Fortson's apartment that turned out to be false. FILE - Candles and framed photos of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman who was fatally shot by a Fla. sheriff's deputy on May 3, 2024, sit in the doorway of the apartment where he was killed in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on Aug. 23. Kate Payne / AP "I want accountability because he was 23. I want accountability because he had a life ahead of him. I want accountability because he was in his own home," said Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson, who wore a shirt emblazoned with an image of her son in his Air Force uniform while appearing with the family's attorney, Ben Crump, at a press conference to announce the wrongful death lawsuit. The complaint describes failures by the county sheriff's office The complaint filed in federal court in Pensacola details alleged failures by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in training and supervision and claims that staff at the apartment complex where Fortson lived provided misleading information that led to the fatal law enforcement response. Messages were left seeking comment from attorneys for Duran, a spokesperson for the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office and an agent for the apartment complex's management company. Duran has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the shooting, which renewed debate on police killings and race, and occurred against a wider backdrop of increased attention by the military to racial issues in its ranks. Duran identifies as Hispanic, according to his voter registration. The airman's mother said she has "no faith" in Okaloosa County, expressing doubt that Duran will get a "real trial" in the Florida Panhandle community where he worked as a law enforcement officer. It is highly unusual for Florida law enforcement officers to be charged for an on-duty killing. Convictions in such cases are even rarer. "This is not policing. This is an unlawful execution," said Crump, a civil rights attorney who has been involved in a number of cases involving law enforcement killings of Black people, including those of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols and George Floyd. "We believe Roger's death was a result of a pattern and practice here in Okaloosa County," added Crump, who announced the lawsuit at a press conference at Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach. FILE - Friends and family of Roger Fortson watch as his casket leaves for the cemetery at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on May 17, 2024, in Stonecrest, Ga. Brynn Anderson / AP The deputy mistakenly went to the wrong apartment, investigators say Duran came to Fortson's door in response to a report of a physical fight inside an apartment. A worker at the complex had identified Fortson's apartment as the location of a loud argument, according to sheriff's investigators. Fortson, who was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, was alone at the time, talking with his girlfriend on a FaceTime video call. Duran's body camera video showed what happened next. The deputy pounded at the door repeatedly and yelled, "Sheriff's office — open the door!" Fortson opened the door with his legally purchased gun in his right hand, pointed to the ground. The deputy said, "Step back," then immediately began firing. Fortson fell backward onto the floor. Only then did the deputy yell, "Drop the gun!" Deputies had never been called to Fortson's apartment before, 911 records show, but they had been called to a nearby unit 10 times in the previous eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance. Crump defended Fortson's right to answer his door with his firearm in hand. "He had a right to the Second Amendment too — to protect his home, to protect his castle," Crump said. "He didn't do anything wrong."
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family sues after U.S. airman Roger Fortson killed by Florida deputy in his home
The mother of slain U.S. airman Roger Fortson is demanding justice from those she deems responsible for gunning down her 23-year-old son inside his apartment last year through a lawsuit filed Tuesday alleging excessive force, wrongful death, municipal liability and other wrongdoings. Chantimekki 'Meka' Fortson, with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, has sued the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Eddie Duran, the Elan Apartments where the Black airman lived and a leasing agent identified as Jane Doe. 'Mr. Fortson, who was lawfully in possession of a legally owned firearm and posed no threat, was killed as a result of a cascade of negligent, reckless and unconstitutional actions by both law enforcement and the apartment complex where he resided,' the suit read. Duran is the since-fired and criminally charged deputy who is alleged to have fatally shot Fortson. In August, he was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. His sheriff's office admonished his actions for an unnecessary use of force. READ MORE: Florida deputy fired after investigation into his killing of a Black U.S. airman Fortson was killed May 3 in his off-base Fort Walton Beach apartment, which is located between Pensacola and Panama City. He served as an AC-130J Ghostrider gunner with the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field. That afternoon, while alone in his apartment and on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend, a leasing agent at Elan Apartments called the Okaloosa Sheriff's Office, reporting a possible domestic disturbance, the lawsuit said. Crump and Chantimekki claim the agent's claim was unverified and based on secondhand information. Based on that information, Duran was sent to his apartment, which started a tense confrontation that devolved into Fortson's death. The sheriff's office released 'objective facts' on the pair's interaction. Doran waited at Fortson's door and listened for sounds of the possible 'disturbance.' Hearing nothing, he knocked without announcing he was a deputy. He said he heard 'something to the effect of it's the (expletive) police.' Doran knocked loudly two more times, this time announcing himself. When Forston opened the door, Doran saw him holding a gun in his right hand. The gun was pointed at the ground 'sufficiently enough for the former deputy to clearly see the rear face of the rear sight,' according to the sheriff's office's account. Almost immediately after opening the door, Doran shot him six times. In its findings, the sheriff's office concluded Fortson did not physically resist in any way and did not point the gun at Doran, which was seen in earlier released body camera footage. 'This was a catastrophic failure on every level: By a deputy who used unjustifiable force, by a sheriff's office that failed to train its officers properly, and by an apartment employee whose reckless assumptions set this deadly chain of events into motion,' said Attorney Ben Crump. READ MORE: Black airman shot to death by a Florida deputy who blitzed wrong apartment, attorneys say The lawsuit pointed out body camera footage and an internal affairs report confirmed that Fortson never raised his weapon and posed no threat. 'Roger Fortson was a proud service member, a loving son, and a young man with his whole life ahead of him,' Crump said. 'He deserved to feel safe in his own home. Instead, he was killed where he should have been safest, based on hearsay and bias. This lawsuit is about justice for Roger and accountability for those responsible for his needless death.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Civil rights attorney files wrongful death lawsuit against deputy charged with killing Airman
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump said he is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy who shot and killed 23-year-old U.S. senior airman Roger Fortson. Crump made the announcement Tuesday afternoon alongside Fortson's mother, Meka Fortson. 'I want accountability because he was 23. I want accountability because he was in his own home,' Meka Fortson said. The mother told Channel 2's Audrey Washington she will continue to travel to Okaloosa County, Florida, until the people she believes caused her son's death are held accountable. 'They turned an ordinary day into what would be a death sentence,' Crump said on Tuesday. Crump said Deputy Eddie Duran, who was responding to a disturbance call at the time of the shooting in 2024, showed 'excessive and unconstitutional deadly force.' RELATED STORIES: Crump noted that Duran shot and killed Fortson within seconds of Fortson answering his apartment door. Deputy body cam video showed Fortson answer his own door while holding a legally owned handgun pointed toward the floor. 'He was shot, dying with his little dog barking in the background,' Crump said. Crump also said he believed both the Okaloosa County Sheriff's office and the apartment complex where Fortson lived were responsible. 'It was the wrong apartment, and had they not based everything on speculation, then maybe the deputy would've gotten the right apartment,' Crump said. 'You're going to be held accountable and held accountable the right way,' Meka Fortson said. Duran is charged with manslaughter with a firearm.
