Fort Walton Beach, Florida – A sheriff’s deputy in Okaloosa County, Florida, was fired after fatally shooting a Florida airman in his apartment earlier this month, authorities announced on Friday.
The terminated deputy, Eddie Duran, was let go following an internal affairs investigation that found his use of deadly force in the shooting death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson was not objectively reasonable and violated agency policy, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Family attorney Ben Crump expressed that while the firing of the officer was a step forward, it was not full justice for Roger and his family. Crump emphasized that the deputy’s actions were not only negligent but also criminal, anticipating charges to be filed against the officer due to video evidence that suggests a brutal and senseless killing.
On May 3, the 23-year-old Fortson was shot and killed in his apartment in Fort Walton Beach by Duran. Fortson was stationed at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, nearby his apartment.
Initial reports from the sheriff’s office indicated that Duran had responded to an “in-progress physical disturbance” at Fortson’s apartment complex. However, a statement from Fortson’s family contradicted this account, claiming that Fortson was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend and alleging that the deputy was directed to the wrong apartment.
Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office showed a sequence of events where the deputy arrived at Fortson’s apartment, announced he was with the sheriff’s office, and ultimately shot Fortson as he opened the door, with what appeared to be a handgun in hand.
The investigation found that Fortson did not physically resist Duran and did not point the gun in the deputy’s direction, concluding that the use of deadly force was not warranted. Sheriff Eric Aden stated that the incident was tragic and that Fortson did not commit any crime, describing him as an exceptional airman and individual.
In summary, the firing of Deputy Duran has brought some measure of justice, but the case is ongoing with expectations of further legal actions to hold the officer accountable for the shooting death of Roger Fortson.