Devastating news is currently surfacing on social media after a Black U.S. Air Force airman was killed by Florida deputies after authorities reportedly burst into the wrong apartment.
Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was fatally shot on May 3 at his off-base apartment off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. An Air Force representative informed Task and Purpose that he served as a Special Missions Aviator with the AC-130J gunships of the 4th Special Operations Squadron. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump who is representing the family shared a photo of Fortson on social media standing with his little sister and captioned the post by saying, “This is Roger Fortson and his little sister. Roger bought her the flight suit so they could match. These pictures perfectly show her love and admiration for her big brother. A love his WHOLE family shared — still there, but now tainted by the brutal nature of his needless death.”
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Crump stated that Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman during the fatal incident. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, reported that Fortson was by himself in his apartment when he heard a knock at the door. According to Crump, Fortson asked who was knocking at the door but received no answer. A few minutes later, he heard a louder knock and checked out the area, but did not see anyone. That’s when Fortson grabbed his gun that legally owned and walked into the living room. Deputies then burst through the door and shot him 6 times.
Subsequently, he passed away at a hospital, as stated by Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden in a press release on Tuesday, May 7. Furthermore, the deputy responsible for shooting Fortson was put on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted.
Crump stated that according to the woman, Fortson was not causing any disturbance, leading her to believe that the deputies had mistakenly targeted the wrong apartment.
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“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” Crump said in his statement.
“We are calling for transparency in the investigation into Roger’s death and the immediate release of body cam video to the family,” Crump said. “His family and the public deserve to know what occurred in the moments leading up to this tragedy.”
