911 calls released in death of GA Airman shot to death by Florida deputies

ATLANTA — The 911 calls that led up to the moment an Okaloosa sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson earlier this month have been released.

The calls shed light on events leading up to the shooting. Fortson’s family is from metro Atlanta.

Channel 2’s Candace McCowan breaks down the 911 calls.

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Two 911 calls on May 3rd led to the moment a body camera video captured an Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy knocking on an apartment door.

“They’ve been arguing for almost an hour now,” the caller said.

“She said that it’s been going on for 15 to 20 minutes.” “It sounded like a man and a woman, she said that it sounded like it started getting physical,” the caller said.

One of the calls came from an employee at the leasing office at the Fort Walton apartment complex where Fortson lived.

The second call came from a resident.

“Sounds like he’s fighting with someone else, she says it sounds like it is getting a little bit out of control but we can’t go there to confront them,” the caller described.

“The apartment number is going to be 1401,” the caller said.

“They’ve been arguing for almost an hour now,” the caller said.

Once the deputy arrives, he can be seen going to apartment 1401. He announces himself, but when Fortson answers the door with a gun, he is shot multiple times within seconds.

“I promise you, it sounded like three or four gunshots and then I heard running and screaming and I know there’s a kid up there,” the caller described.

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The Family has said Fortson was alone in his apartment.

His girlfriend said she was on Facetime with him, and said Fortson didn’t hear the deputy announce himself and saw no one through the peephole.

Fortson, who was just 23, died at the hospital.

“Is everybody ok?” the caller asked.

“I can’t answer that but we do have help on the way,” the dispatcher said.

The deputy involved has been put on administrative leave while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates.

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