Former Florida deputy Eddie Duran is facing charges in connection to the fatal shooting of United States Air Force Sr. Airman Roger Fortson.
On Friday (August 23), Duran was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, per ABC News.
Fortson, 23, was shot and killed on May 3 by Duran, the Okaloosa sheriff’s deputy who was responded to a disturbance report at his apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The airman, who was holding a gun pointed toward the floor, was killed seconds after he answered the door, body camera footage shows.
A woman who was on Facetime with Fortson at the time of the shooting said he was home alone. Police also confirmed that Forston was alone following a sweep of the apartment.
Duran was fired from the sheriff’s office after an investigation found the airman “did not make any hostile, attacking movements, and therefore, the former deputy’s use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable.”
“We continue to wish Mr. Fortson’s family comfort and peace, as the former deputy’s criminal case proceeds,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “We stand by our decision to terminate Mr. Duran as a result of the administrative internal affairs investigation that found his use of force was not objectively reasonable.”
In a statement, Fortson’s family said the charges were the “first step towards justice.”
“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,” the family said. “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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