Florida sheriff's deputy seen fatally shooting US airman in newly released body camera video

The Florida Sheriff's Office released body camera video Thursday showing a sheriff's deputy shoot and kill a U.S. Airman in his apartment last week as the deputy responded to a disturbance call.

Video shows a deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in the Florida Panhandle knock on the door of Senior Airman Roger Fortson's apartment Friday afternoon and announce he was at the office of the sheriff. When the door opened, the deputy yelled at Fortson, 23, to back off.

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Fortson's family, said Fortson obtained his legally possessed gun after hearing a knock at his door and not knowing who was there. In a bodycam video released Thursday, the deputy first strikes without making himself known. About 30 seconds later, he knocks again, saying he is at the sheriff's office and needs to open the door. He knocks and shows up about 10 seconds later. Seconds after Fortson opened the door, the deputy shot Fortson, who was holding what appeared to be a handgun at his side.

Fortson, blurry in the video, immediately falls to the ground. He is seen moving on the ground as the deputy tells him to drop the gun.

“It’s over there,” Fortson says on the video to the deputy. “I do not have it.”

The deputy tells Fortson not to move, then calls for emergency medical services on his radio before the video ends.

At a news conference, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden told reporters, “It pains me to show the video, but I know you all need to see it.”

Fortson's family said in a statement that it was disturbing that the deputy fired multiple times so quickly.

“The video provided some answers, but it also raised even more troubling questions,” the family said. “As the officer did not tell Roger to drop his weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer attempt to take steps to save lives? Has the officer been trained to deal with law-abiding, registered gun owners?”

During the incident, Fortson was on a FaceTime call with his girlfriend. Crump's company released video of the call that appears to have started after the shooting, showing the ceiling of Fortson's apartment.

“I can’t breathe,” Fortson says in the video while groaning.

No law enforcement officers are seen in the video, but some voices in the background of the video can be heard.

“Don’t move,” a voice shouts at Fortson. “Stop moving. Stop moving.”

Fortson was shot six times, the Crump law firm said. As someone in the background counted the number of Fortson's gunshot wounds, a voice said, “Yeah, he shot.”

Aden did not answer any questions during the afternoon press conference. The deputy, who has not been identified, has been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting.

“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 on Mr. Fortson or our deputy,” Aden said.

Chantemekki Fortson, mother of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, holds a photo of her son during a news conference regarding his death, with his family and attorney Ben Crump, May 9, 2024, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. AP Photo/Gérald Herbert

Earlier Thursday, Crump said during a news conference that Fortson was on FaceTime with his girlfriend when he heard a knock on her door, saw no one through the peephole and retrieved his gun.

Crump initially said the deputy entered Fortson's apartment, saw him with his gun and shot him. According to the family's statement after the body camera video was released, the girlfriend believed the door was forced open by the deputy. Footage played during Aden's news conference showed the deputy firing several shots into an exterior hallway outside Fortson's apartment door.

“We remain adamant that police had the wrong apartment because Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for some time before the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment,” said family.

Fortson's mother, Chantemekki Fortson, told reporters that her son's girlfriend was devastated by the shooting.

“She literally watched them walk over him as he was dying, taking his last breath,” Fortson said.

Crump did not identify the girlfriend but said she had an attorney.

“She was afraid to hear them and see them kill her boyfriend,” Crump told reporters.

The sheriff's office said in a statement Saturday that the deputy was responding to a disturbance call, “made contact with an armed individual in an apartment” and acted in self-defense. In an updated statement Tuesday, Sheriff Eric Aden said the deputy “encountered an armed man” and shot him.

“All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office are saddened by the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend,” Aden said.

During his press conference, Aden said he met with Fortson's family and offered his condolences.

“This outcome is one we never hope to encounter,” the sheriff said.

Crump said the family will review the body camera footage Thursday afternoon. The family asked that the footage be made public and that the sheriff's office correct what they said about the shooting.

“Do the right thing and correct this narrative,” Crump said. “Correct this narrative and do not stain this young man’s name… Do not try to stain his name, his life, his legacy.”

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Alex Sundby

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writes about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multi-state lottery jackpots to the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.

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