A former Florida sheriff’s deputy has been charged with manslaughter months after the shooting death of 23-year-old Senior Air Force Airman Roger Fortson.
An arrest warrant has been issued for former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy Eddie Duran, 38, who shot Fortson inside his Fort Walton Beach apartment on May 3, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Fortson opened his door to police responding to a domestic call at his apartment complex, the Elan Apartments by ARIUM. The Black serviceman was holding a gun at his side pointed at the floor, body camera footage released after the incident showed.
Fortson was at home with his dog and on a video call with his girlfriend when the officer, who identified as Hispanic, began banging on the door and shouting “Sheriff’s Office open the door.”
After spotting the firearm, the deputy fired six shots, striking Fortson. The officer then yelled at him to “drop the gun.” Fortson responded: “It’s over there” and said, “I don’t have it.”
Duran is not in custody. Officials are waiting for him to turn himself in to the police. He faces 30 years in prison if convicted of the charge. An attorney for Duran did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
Following the incident, Ben Crump, who is representing Fortson’s family, claimed that officials went to the wrong apartment and did not announce themselves, a statement the sheriff’s office disagreed with.
Duran was first placed on paid administrative leave as an investigation into the matter proceeded. He was later terminated from his post. The deputy first joined the sheriff’s office in 2019 and resigned in November 2021 before returning in June 2023.
In a statement issued on Friday, authorities with the sheriff’s office said they found Duran’s use of force was “not objectively reasonable” after the investigation found the serviceman “did not make any hostile, attacking movements.”
“We continue to wish Mr Fortson’s family comfort and peace, as the former deputy’s criminal case proceeds,” Friday’s statement read.
In a statement issued through Crump’s office following the announcement, Fortson’s family said: “This is the first step towards justice for the family of Roger Fortson. Nothing can ever bring Roger back, and our fight is far from over, but we are hopeful that this arrest and these charges will result in real justice for the Fortson family.”
About two months after Fortson’s death, his 16-year-old brother Andre Fortson died in a shootout between two groups in the Atlanta area.
