Body camera footage has emerged showing the moment a Florida sheriff's deputy shot and killed a Black U.S. Airman in Fort Walton Beach. The deputy can be heard identifying himself before fatally shooting Senior Airman Roger Fortson inside his apartment, a claim challenged by the airman's family and their attorney, according to WABE.
Law enforcement officials released the video shortly after a press conference where the family disputed the claim of self-defense made by Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden. The footage in question shows the deputy approaching Fortson's door. After shouting "Sheriff’s office! Open the door!", Senior Airman Fortson is seen opening the door with a gun in hand, pointed towards the ground. The deputy then fired off shots almost immediately, later telling him to "Drop the gun!" according to the video presented by the sheriff, as per WABE.
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney representing the Fortson family, insists that the officer did not instruct Fortson to put down his weapon before shooting. "We remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment," Crump stated in response to the sheriff's assertions. Fortson's mother, Chantemekki Fortson, visibly distraught, joined Crump at the news conference, grieving the loss of her son, whom she described as her "baby" who had been "shot up," as reported by WABE.
Challenging the official narrative, Crump emphasized that Fortson was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend at the time, with no other individual present in the apartment. The lawyer has been involved in several other high-profile cases of Black individuals fatally encountering law enforcement. Crump also drew parallels to the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and Botham Jean in their own homes, in an unjustified manner that, he argues, robs the community of its patriots.
The deputy involved has not been identified and is currently on administrative leave pending a criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In the interim, Sheriff Aden has promised transparency and thoroughness, extending his deepest condolences to the Fortson family.
