Florida police have publicly released body camera footage from a deputy sheriff who fatally shot a US Air Force member at his home. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, who was 23 years old, was taken to a hospital where he died, officials said. A lawyer for the victim's family, citing a witness, alleged the police burst into the wrong home. Police have disputed the claim and said the deputy reacted in self-defence after he saw Fortson armed with a gun. The airman was shot on 3 May at his home, located 5 miles (8km) from the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he is based. The deputy who shot him - whom police have not named - has since been placed on administrative leave. Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said the shooting was being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office. Mr Aden promised to provide "transparency and accountability" but added: "These investigations take time." "But I want to assure you that we are not hiding, covering up, or taking any action that would result in a rushed judgment of Mr Fortson or our deputy." The sheriff showed a four-minute video taken from the body camera worn by the deputy who fired the fatal shots. The clip showed police arriving at Fortson's apartment complex, and being led to an elevator by a witness who said she had heard fighting coming from an apartment. The deputy then approached the front door alone, knocked, and twice called out that he was a member of the "sheriff's office". Fortson was seen holding a gun in his right hand as he opened the door. The deputy then fired multiple shots as soon as the door opened, telling him afterwards to drop the weapon. "It's over there. I don't have it," Fortson said as he lay on the floor. A lawyer for the Fortson family, Ben Crump, said in a news conference on Thursday that Fortson "was the best America had to offer". "He was a patriot. He was a US airman, special ops. He was fighting for our way of life. He was fighting for everybody," Mr Crump said. His mother, Chantimekki Fortson, broke down crying as Mr Crump recounted the moments before the airman was shot. "My baby was my everything," she said. Mr Crump said at the time of the shooting Fortson was on a video call with a friend, who described what she heard to his family's legal team. The friend said the airman heard a knock on his apartment door and asked who was there, but received no response. He then heard a second, "very aggressive knock" but did not see anyone when he looked through the peephole. It is at this point that Fortson is said to have grown concerned and retrieved his gun, which the lawyer said was legally owned. As Fortson returned to his living room, the witness said police burst through the door, saw that the resident was armed and shot him six times. Mr Crump said the witness believed the officers were in the wrong apartment, as Fortson was alone at the time with no disturbance at his residence. The sheriff on Thursday denied that officers had gone to the wrong address. In an earlier statement, the sheriff's office said the deputy "reacted in self defence after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement." Speaking to reporters, Mr Crump accused police of trying to "justify unjustifiable excessive use of force". Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron, according to the US Air Force, and entered active duty in November 2019. According to Mr Crump, he enlisted in the military after graduating from high school in Atlanta, Georgia with honours. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68979577.amp
The friend said the airman heard a knock on his apartment door and asked who was there, but received no response. He then heard a second, "very aggressive knock" but did not see anyone when he looked through the peephole. It is at this point that Fortson is said to have grown concerned and retrieved his gun, which the lawyer said was legally owned. I thought this was America? So Americans don't have a right to take out their firearm when they hear aggressive knocking?
Was it the wrong apartment for the disturbance call? If he was alone in the apartment it seems likely.
Watching the video I wonder why the cop did not stay within view of the peephole on the door. He identified himself as police several times verbally but clearly didn't want to be in the path of the doorway. Probably a safety/procedure thing. I'll be shocked if anything comes of this tbh.
Did you watch the video? The deputy very clearly announced that he was with the Sheriff's Department. Twice. The guy was also not so concerned that he didn't open the door, and he seems to say the word police. It's because doors are not bulletproof. If you stand where someone can see you through the peephole, they can shoot you through the door. I think the deputy was in the wrong for shooting him. Not because he didn't know who was there. Not because of aggressive knocking. Because the guy was not threatening him with the gun, it is down by his side .
He may have heard the knock .He may have not heard Sheriff 's department through the door. The average individual would have done the same thing. I honestly believe the person who reported the issues got then wrong apartment. The cop went to the apartment he was told to go to. However, you do not shoot a person who is holding a gun by their side. It wasn't like he was pointing it at the cop.
I figured that was why, but it strikes me as kinda chickenshit tbh. Unless there is a known threat, Police should go out of their way to identify themselves whenever attempting to enter a domicile. Just yelling "police" is not sufficient for multiple reasons. This man is dead because the cop was too afraid to stand in front of the door he was knocking on. That's absurd.
Because the deputy was at the wrong address? Because the deputy emptied his gun into the victim? Because the deputy took the approach of shoot first and ask questions later? This death should have been avoided. I suspect that given the same situation 10 times out of 10 the deputy will fire his gun.
This is tragic. Sounds like the cop was badly trained and terrified and shot in panic. Should not have happened and he needs to be held responsible.
I say this in every thread on the subject, but the entire training system, and especially a lot of the third-party training run by former police officers beat it into their head to react this way at the sight of a gun. I have several old posts on the subject and don't want to rehash, but I guarantee you this guy took a third-party training course from some former cop who would pin a medal on the officer's chest for his quick thinking and prompt action to protect other officers. There is a subset of the "police community" that absolutely will be thinking that this officer is a hero. The officer is responsible of course, for his actions, but its not like its just a few "bad apples" and if the officer had consitently gotten a different type of training he might have reacted differently.
he had every right to answer the door with a gun at his side 1st knock, they don’t identity themselves then on subsequent knocks, they claim they’re police but make sure they can’t be identified or seen through the peephole if someone is at home by themselves doing nothing, the last thing they’d expect is police banging on their door…And if they’re hiding from the peephole when they knock, why should anyone in his situation believe they’re police? Anyone can claim they’re an officer, then rush in and rob u once u open the door. Not to mention his legally owned gun was at his side with his finger off the trigger. What ever happened to the 2nd Amendment? Where is the statement from the NRA? he could’ve had the remote in his hand instead of a gun and it wouldn’t have mattered with how fast they emptied their clip…the victim didn’t even have time to blink…they would’ve just said the usual BS of thinking it was a weapon and they were terrified for their lives
I will also add that if the deputy bullets had missed and/or not been fatal and the home owner was able to shoot and kill the deputy in self defense, the home owner would be in custody with a most uncertain future.
fck that dumbass Karen who basically swatted this young man and led to his death I hope what happened haunts u for the rest of your life
