Roger Fortson dies in fatal Fort Walton Beach shooting

Roger Fortson dies in fatal Fort Walton Beach shooting

Fatal Fort Walton Beach shooting death of Roger Fortson – Obituary

Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old Georgia airman, was fatally shot on May 3 by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The deputy, later identified as Eddie Duran, has been charged with manslaughter involving a firearm.

Fortson’s family, alongside a prominent civil rights attorney, has filed a lawsuit against both the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Duran, alleging that excessive and unconstitutional force was used when Fortson was killed just seconds after answering the door to his apartment.

Body camera footage showed Fortson holding a legally-owned firearm pointed downward when the deputy opened fire almost immediately after the door opened.

Authorities initially claimed the deputy acted in self-defense in response to a domestic disturbance call, but it was later revealed that the report leading to the response was false.

Sheriff Eric Aden dismissed Duran from the department, stating the deputy’s life was not in danger and the shooting was unjustified.

Duran is now facing a first-degree felony charge for manslaughter, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years.