Eddie Duran, the former Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot U.S. airman Roger Fortson after allegedly bursting into the wrong apartment, has been charged with manslaughter.
Per CBS News, the announcement of the charge brought against Duran was made by Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille on Thursday, August 22. Marcille at the time of this report stated that a warrant for Duran’s arrest had been issued, though he was not in custody.
“This decision marks the first step towards justice for the family of Roger Fortson,” the family’s, attorney Ben Crump, said in a statement they released through him. “Let this be a reminder to law enforcement officers everywhere that they swore a solemn oath to protect and defend, and their actions have consequences, especially when it results in the loss of life.”
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Duran faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, Crump claimed deputies shot and killed Fortson after they “burst” into the wrong apartment to investigate a disturbance call.
According to The Associated Press, the fatal May 3 incident occurred at Fort Walton Beach. Fortson was fatally shot in his off-base apartment at the said location. Fortson was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field.
In a statement, Crump said a witness was on Facetime with Fortson “during the entire encounter.” The witness said Fortson was alone in his off-base apartment when he heard his door being knocked.
“He asked, ‘who is it?’ but didn’t get a response,” the statement said. “A few minutes later, there was a very aggressive knock on the door, but Roger didn’t see anyone when he looked out the peephole.”
The statement said Fortson became concerned and “did what any law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally-owned gun, but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door.”
Fortson was shot six times after the deputies noticed the 23-year-old was armed with a gun, the statement said. “The witness has said that she saw Roger on the ground stating, ‘I can’t breathe,’ after he was shot,” the statement continued.
“She has also said the police were in the wrong apartment as there was no disturbance in the apartment and he was alone.” Fortson later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. The statement said Fortson joined the military after “graduating from high school with honors and had no criminal record.”
“By all accounts, he was a stellar member of the Air Force and loved by his community.” The statement said authorities had provided little information about the shooting at the time.
In an initial statement, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office claimed that a deputy acted in self-defense after coming across an armed man at an apartment building. Authorities said the deputies were at the address to investigate an ongoing disturbance report – though the nature of the said disturbance was not disclosed. The office did not also identify the individual who called authorities to make that report.
“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” Crump said at the time.
“We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger’s death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family,” Crump added. “His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy.”
