A Florida sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an Air Force soldier in his home earlier this month has been fired.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had fired Deputy Eddie Duran after an administrative investigation found that his use of deadly force in the death of Roger Fortson was “objectively unreasonable.”
“The objective facts of the administrative investigation conclude that Mr. Fortson did not make any hostile aggressive moves and therefore the former deputy sheriff’s use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable under OSCO standards. [Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office] “It’s policy,” he said.
Air Force airman shot and killed when Florida police entered wrong apartment, lawyer says
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, died on May 3rd following an incident at his off-base home. (Hurlburt Field)
Fortson, 23, is a senior airman with the 4th Special Operations Squadron assigned to the squadron’s AC-130J gunship at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
According to officer body camera footage, Fortson opened the door to his apartment on May 3 with a legally purchased handgun pointed at the floor, and the officer yelled, “Stand down!” and shot Fortson six times.
After the shots were fired, the deputy called for emergency medical personnel, yelling, “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” Duran was responding to a domestic violence call and was escorted to an apartment.
“Because Mr. Fortson did not make any hostile or aggressive moves, the former deputy’s use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable,” the sheriff’s office said.
Body camera footage shows the moment a deputy shoots and kills an Air Force soldier in his own home
The family of Roger Fortson, 23, who was shot and killed by police as he answered the door to his apartment. Pictured is the family’s lawyer, Ben Crump. (Reuters)
“This tragic incident should never have happened,” 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, and by everyone’s account, he was an exceptional Airman and an outstanding person.”
Okaloosa County NAACP President Sabu Williams praised Aiden’s actions.
“I appreciate what the internal investigation has uncovered and what the sheriff’s office has done,” Williams told The Associated Press. “Obviously, I don’t think this is the end of it.”
He said the NAACP has a good relationship with Republican sheriffs.
Roger Fortson was shot and killed in his Florida apartment on May 3rd. (Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office)
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“Some of us may have hoped that things would have moved faster, but we know we have to exercise an abundance of caution,” Williams said.
Duran, an Army veteran, worked for the sheriff’s office from July 2019 to November 2021, before returning to the department in June 2023.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Duran’s attorney for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
