BWC footage released in fatal OIS of Fla. man at apartment complex

By Warren Kulo
al.com

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A Florida sheriff has released body camera footage showing one of his deputies shooting and killing a U.S. Air Force Airman last Friday at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach.

The Airman, 23-year-old Roger Fortson, later died of his wounds at a local hospital.

The deputy was responding to a report of a domestic disturbance inside one of the apartments, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The bodycam video shows the deputy banging on the door of the apartment until a man, apparently Fortson, opened the door. The deputy opened fire immediately, repeatedly yelling “drop the gun,” the video shows.

Click below to see full video.

Fortson fell to the ground told the deputy he didn’t have the gun. “It’s over there. I don’t have it,” he says in the video.

WEAR in Pensacola reported Fortson was shot six times.

Fortson was a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force 4th Special Operations Squadron , stationed at Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County. He joined the USAF in 2019.

The deputy was placed on administrative leave, as is standard protocol.

During a press conference Thursday, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Arden said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would investigate the shooting. The sheriff’s office initially said the deputy, who has not been publicly identified, acted in self-defense, but Arden noted that “no determination has been made as to whether the deputy’s actions were justified or not.”

Arden said the video was released to the media and the public after notifying the Fortson family and state police.

“While it might be difficult to see, there are many questions the investigation must answer before we can determine whether the officer’s actions are justified. Again, we are committed to transparency and look forward to FDLE and the State Attorney’s reports.”

Ben Crump, an attorney hired by Fortson’s family, held a press conference with the family, alleging among other things that the deputy responded to the wrong apartment. The sheriff refuted those allegations during the Thursday press conference.

“We are aware of a press release and other comments that falsely state our deputy entered the wrong apartment and imply that he burst through the door into Mr. Fortson’s residence,” Arden said. “Those statements are inaccurate as shown in the video.”

During the family’s press conference, Crump said he had spoken with Fortson’s girlfriend, who was on a video call with Fortson at the time of the shooting. The girlfriend acknowledged that Fortson was armed when he answered the door of the apartment, Crump said. But he only retrieved his handgun after hearing someone banging on the door, then looking through the peephole and seeing no one, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

Again, Arden refuted that claim.

“What we do know at this time is that the deputy announced himself, Mr. Fortson’s comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at his door, and that he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. The deputy knocked on the correct door. He did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscure its view.”

Arden also said he had met with Fortson’s family and expressed both his condolences and assurances that if the deputy acted improperly “their son’s name will be fully vindicated.”

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