Florida sheriff deputies burst into wrong apartment and fatally shot U.S. airman, attorney says

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

A Florida deputy fatally shot a Black Air Force airman last week after forcibly entering the wrong apartment, his family’s attorney alleged in a news release, citing information from a witness.

The witness — who was on FaceTime with Senior Airman Roger Fortson during the incident — said Fortson, 23, was alone in his apartment when the authorities entered, according to the statement released Wednesday by attorney Ben Crump’s office.

Fortson heard a knock at the door and asked who was there, but did not receive a reply, the witness said. After another “very aggressive knock,” Fortson looked out the peephole and could not see anyone. He was concerned, the statement said, and retrieved a gun, which he owned legally.

As Fortson returned to the living room with the gun, the authorities allegedly burst through the door and shot him six times. The witness recalled Fortson saying “I can’t breathe” after he was shot. He died at the hospital.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement released Tuesday that a deputy was responding to a “call of a disturbance in progress” when he “encountered an armed man,” whom the deputy shot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/deputy-fatally-shot-black-airman-after-entering-wrong-apartment-lawyer-says/ar-BB1m4W1T

Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was at his home at Chez Elan Apartments, around five miles from the air base, when he was killed.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman at the time of the encounter.

According to Crump, the woman, whom Crump didn't identify, said Fortson was alone in his apartment when he heard a knock at the door. He asked who was there but didn't get a response. A few minutes later, there was a very aggressive knock on the door, Crump said in a statement, but Fortson didn't see anyone when he looked out the peephole.

The woman said Fortson was concerned and went to retrieve his gun, which Crump said was legally owned.

As Fortson walked back through his living room, deputies burst through the door, saw that Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump's statement. Fortson was on the ground, saying, "I can't breathe," after he was shot, Crump said.

Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-fortson-airman-killed-deputy-wrong-apartment-florida/

[okaawhatever]

1. Both sad and enraging. Holding good thoughts for his family nt

[Best_man23]

2. Sadly, I'm not going to hold my breath hoping that justice will happen here

Here is the sheriff's bio, reads like he's likely MAGA.

https://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/org/sheriff-eric-aden/

Affiliations: Member and Councilman, Shalimar United Methodist Church; Member SUMC Security Ministry Team; Loaned Executive/Volunteer, United Way; Past Board Member, Kiwanis Club; Past President and Secretary, Current Member, Okaloosa Republican Club; Member and Precinct Captain, Okaloosa County Republican Executive Committee; Associate Member, Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated; Board Member, Northwest Florida State College Foundation (NWFLSC); President, Portofino Townhome HOA; Board Member, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center (ECCAC); Board Member, Horizons Foundation/ARC of the Emerald Coast; Member, All Sports Association; Selected and Attended the USAF Air War College’s 64th National Security Forum in 2017; Member, NWFLSC Finance Committee; Member, ECCAC Faith Based Committee; Member, ECCAC Finance Committee; Member, FBI National Academy Associates, Inc. (FBINAA); Past Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): Past Member, Board of Trustees Bridgeway Center; Past Treasurer, Bridgeway Center

[ProfessorGAC]

3. While I Understand Your Skepticism...

...this feels like a slam-dunk in civil action. Little more would be needed to convince a jury that it was wrongful death than they went to the wrong apartment!
They went in preparing to fire and weren't even at the right place.

[NutmegYankee]

4. What jury?

This’ll be dismissed under qualified immunity long before any jury can get near it.

[brush]

5. No. That might work if they had went to the RIGHT apartment.

It was the wrong apartment of an INNOCENT man. It's a slam dunk case and his family will get a big payout.

LEO departments need to get smarter officers...like ones knowing how to read addresses.

[NutmegYankee]

6. Dozens of similar cases ended at QI.

At least you have optimism. With a conservative appeals court, I have none.

[brush]

7. See you in court. They went to the WRONG apartment. Big mistake and big payout coming to his family.

Last edited Thu May 9, 2024, 12:23 PM - Edit history (2)

That of course won't bring back the innoncent man killed...just sitting in his living room, on the phone.

Reminds me of the somewhat similar case of few years back of the man sitting in his living room eating ice cream, when a cop barged in and shot him dead.

That cop was a woman, still the victim came up dead...both victims btw, were Black men, victims of cops making dumb ass mistakes at what door they were barging in on, but sure of their insistence on shooting first and asking questions later.

Depends on ones perspective. Oh, and btw, the woman cop is serving a long sentence in prison. Qualified immunity didn't even come into the picture because she went to the WRONG apartment.

[Best_man23]

8. There have been too many of these wrongful death cases that looked like "slam-dunks"

And yet, the cop or cops walked.

Given the location of this case (NW Floriduh), I'm not expecting the sheriff or his department to be cooperative in any investigation.

Oh, as a BTW, this is the VERY SAME sheriff's office whose deputies fired multiple rounds at their own vehicle with a detainee inside because an acorn fell on the vehicle's roof.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. I wonder if they were trained by "Street Cop Training"

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/hundreds-of-officers-from-multiple-states-attend-controversial-police-training-conference-in-florida

Hundreds of officers from multiple states attend controversial police training conference in Florida

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Hundreds of law enforcement officers are attending a private law enforcement conference in Kissimmee, Fla. this week called "Street Cop Training."

A New Jersey Comptroller’s Office report says the company taught unconstitutional policing tactics, glorified violence, and denigrated women and minorities.

[budkin]

9. They feared for their lives...

Case closed.