OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed U.S. Air Force Airman Roger Fortson earlier this year has been charged with manslaughter, the Florida State Attorney’s Office confirmed.
Eddie Duran Jr. was fired in late May after an internal investigation found the deputy’s “use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable and therefore violated agency policy.”
Forton’s family and their attorneys released a statement on Friday afternoon that read,
“This decision marks 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. 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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Fortson, 23 from DeKalb County, was shot several times and killed moments after opening the door to the now-former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy, body camera video of the incident showed.
According to the sheriff’s office, Duran “confirmed Mr. Fortson did not physically resist him in any way, and the investigation concluded that Mr. Forston did not point the gun in the former deputy’s direction.”
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The sheriff’s office was called to the apartment complex to reports of noise and fighting coming from Fortson’s apartment.
His family says they had the wrong apartment because he was alone and on FaceTime with his girlfriend when he heard the deputy banging on the door.
Fortson went and retrieved his gun before answering the door, but never raised it toward the deputy.
“This tragic incident should have never occurred,” Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said. “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 airman and individual.”
It’s unclear if Duran has been taken into custody. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
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