Roger Fortson's family demands charges against deputy sheriff who killed him

The family of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old U.S. soldier who was shot and killed by a Florida deputy in May, is demanding that charges be brought against the police officer. The now-fired deputy shot Fortson six times.

At a press conference in Florida on Friday, Ben Crump, one of the Fortson family's attorneys, said that while the investigation into the shooting was taking time, the family was concerned about how long the investigation had taken given that the incident was captured on body camera video.

“Just look at the video. It's on video, folks. It's not a mystery what happened… what's so difficult about this investigation?” Crump said.

“Typically, black people in America, when they keep hesitating, they want to sweep it under the rug,” he added.

Fortson's sister Raven also called for justice for her brother. She told the audience Friday that she was concerned that former Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy Eddie Duran would “take a family member away from someone” if he was not held accountable for her brother's death. Duran was fired after the incident.

Roger Fortson “has spent his career, his life, protecting his country. He deserves to be honored and protected like he protected us,” she said. “Why is this taking so long? It shouldn't take this long. My brother was murdered. He killed him because he exists.”

Chantemekki Fortson, Fortson's mother, urged District Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden to “do the right thing” regarding the investigation.

“My child saved people in a split second. Look how long it takes America to save him,” she said.

Bowden Madden's office did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment on the status of the investigation.

Many questions surrounding Fortson's death remain unanswered

Fortson was shot and killed in an incident involving the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office on May 3. According to authorities, the sheriff's office sent officers to Fortson's residence after being called about a disturbance.

Fortson was alone in his apartment and on FaceTime with his girlfriend when a deputy later identified as Duran came to his door, his family's lawyers told NPR.

The bodycam footage shows Duran knocking on the door and identifying himself as a police officer. Then Fortson appears with a gun pointed at the ground. Duran immediately fires several shots.

Fortson later died in hospital.

Crump told reporters in May that Fortson did not hear the deputy and grabbed his gun for his own protection. The attorney also said Duran should never have gone to Fortson's apartment.

Brian Barr, another family attorney, previously told NPR that there had been a complaint about an apartment, but it was not Fortson's.

The deputy who shot Fortson was fired

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said after the shooting that Duran acted in self-defense after encountering an “armed man.” An investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is ongoing, and prosecutors will decide whether to take further action.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Department announced on May 31 that Duran was fired following the completion of an internal investigation.

The investigation concluded that Duran's use of deadly force “was objectively not appropriate and therefore violated agency policy.” In its press release, the sheriff's office said the investigation was “limited in scope” to determine whether Duran violated agency policy.

“This tragic incident should never have happened,” Aden said. “The objective facts do not support the use of deadly force as an appropriate response to Mr. Fortson's actions. Mr. Fortson committed no crime. By all accounts, he was an exceptional airman and human being.”

After Duran's dismissal, Crump said that while his firing was a “step forward,” it did not ensure complete justice for Fortson and his family.

“This congressman’s actions were not just negligent, they were criminal,” Crump said.

“Just as we did for Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson and Breonna Taylor, we will continue to fight for full justice and accountability for Roger Fortson, as well as every other innocent Black man and woman who was gunned down by police in the perceived safety of their own home,” he added.

He was a gifted teenager who became an “amazing young man”

/ Michael A. McCoy for NPR

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Michael A. McCoy for NPR

Those who spoke at his funeral on May 17 in Stonecrest, Georgia, marveled at how Fortson transformed from a fun-loving teenager into a determined young man.

“He was one of our most gifted students,” said Fortson’s former principal at Ronald E. McNair High School, Loukisha Walker.

“He has not always proven himself to be gifted,” she said – but Fortson gained attention when he achieved “an astonishing score” on the military aptitude test (ASVAB).

“He was able to figure out exactly what he wanted to do” and make his mother – and his principal – proud, Walker said. “He was an amazing young man.”

Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the First Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field in Florida, described Fortson as “a man of honor, a man of integrity, a man of courage.”

Copyright: NPR