US aviator Roger Fortson fatally killed: Florida deputy fired

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida sheriff Friday fired a deputy who fatally shot a Black airman at his home while holding a handgun pointed at the ground.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Deputy Eddie Duran, who fatally shot Senior Airman Roger Fortson, of Atlanta, on May 3 after responding to a domestic violence call and being headed to Fortson’s apartment.

Body camera video shows that when the deputy arrived at Fortson’s door, he stood silently for 20 seconds outside and listened, but no voices inside are heard on his body camera .

He then knocked on the door, but without identifying himself. He then moved to the side of the door, about five feet away. He waited 15 seconds before knocking on the door again. This time he shouted, “Sheriff’s Office, open the door!” He moved to the side again.

Less than 10 seconds later, he came back to the door and knocked again, announcing himself once more.

Fortson, 23, opened the door with his legally purchased gun in his right hand. She was at his side, pointing towards the ground. The deputy said “Stand back” and then immediately began shooting. Fortson fell backwards to the ground.

Only then did the deputy shout, “Drop the gun!”

Aden said Duran was wrong to fire his gun.

“This tragic incident should never have happened,” Aden said in his statement. “The objective facts do not support the use of deadly force as an appropriate response to Mr. Fortson’s actions. Mr. Fortson did not commit any crime. By all accounts, he was an exceptional aviator and individual.

A phone number could not immediately be found for Duran.

A criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is ongoing.

Earlier this month, Fortson’s relatives and military personnel gathered at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church for his funeral. Several family members spoke, sharing more about his “humble” nature while holding back tears.

“I thought Roger was the coolest person in the world. I looked at him, how he spoke with his accent and that smile. I was so proud of my brother and he was so humble,” said his sister Raevyn Wilborn. . “At 23, my brother accomplished more than 50- and 60-year-old men. I was proud of who he was. He was supposed to have a million more accomplishments. We need to make him proud now.”

RELATED: Airman shot by deputy adored little sister, aimed to buy mom a house, family says

The Rev. Al Sharpton and Atlanta civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Fortson family, also spoke at the funeral.

“Roger Fortson was the best of us. The best America had to offer the world,” Crump said.

Col. Patrick Dierig, 1st Special Operations Wing, called Fortson “a man of honor, a man of integrity and a man of courage.”

“He was great before he came to us. We, the Air Force, simply polished a diamond that you forged,” Col. Dierig added. “It takes an incredible person to be an air commando. He excelled in honor, professionalism and trust. His legacy in the Air Force is a stone of hope.”