Ex-Florida deputy charged with manslaughter in shooting of U.S. Airman Roger Fortson
Prosecutors charged a former Florida deputy sheriff Friday with manslaughter for the May 3 shooting death of a U.S. Air Force serviceman.
Former Okaloosa County Deputy Sheriff Eddie Duran Jr. was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, according to State Attorney for Florida's First Judicial Circuit Ginger Bowden Madden. Duran is accused of killing Roger Fortson, 23, a senior airman in the Air Force.
Duran was responding to an apparent disturbance call at Fortson's apartment complex. Noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Fortson was on Facetime with his girlfriend, who "heard everything" that occurred during the shooting and that Fortson was alarmed by aggressive pounding on the door by Duran. Fortson answered the door with a gun in his hand but it was pointed toward the ground.
The charges are the latest development for a grief-stricken family who lost another son to a fatal shooting and have been demanding answers from the Okaloosa Sheriff's department.
Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille told USA TODAY a warrant was issued for Duran. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison. He confirmed the office met with the Fortson family about the charge, but declined to share further details about the conversation.
Fortson's mother Chantemekki Fortson recently demanded that charges be filed against the deputy in June. During her demands, she said she wanted justice for Roger and that Duran's fear about not making it home was actualized in Roger.
Duran "thought he wasn't going to make it home to his family. Guess what? This one didn't," she said, pointing to a photo of her son.
Crump said in a statement that charging Duran was the "first step towards justice for the family of Roger Fortson."
"Nothing can ever bring Roger back, and our fight is far from over, but we are hopeful that this arrest and these charges will result in real justice for the Fortson family," he said. "Let this be a reminder to law enforcement officers everywhere that they swore a solemn oath to protect and defend, and their actions have consequences, especially when it results in the loss of life."
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, who fired Duran in May, said in a statement they stand by their decision to fire him following an internal investigation and wished Fortson's family comfort.
Airman killed in May during call for apparent disturbance
Duran is accused of killing Fortson when he responded to an apparent disturbance at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach, a small community about 150 miles west of Tallahassee. In body camera footage released by police, Duran is seen knocking on Fortson's apartment door three times, announcing he's with the sheriff's office.
Fortson opened the door with a gun in hand, and pointed down. Duran allegedly told Fortson to "step back" and shot him. The 1st Special Operations Wing identified Fortson as the victim in a release. Fortson was an active-duty airman since November 2019.
Duran was fired after an investigation revealed his use of force "was not objectively reasonable and therefore violated agency policy."
Who is former deputy Eddie Duran?
Prior to re-joining the sheriff's office in 2023, Duran received a bachelor's degree in criminal psychology and about halfway through a master's degree in human service counsuling, focusing on crisis response and trauma, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office investigative report.
Duran served in the Army in 2003 and was deployed to Iraq in 2008. He shifted from military intelligence to law enforcement in 2007 and received training through the Army's Special Reaction Team as a military police officer.
Duran was honorably discharged in 2014 and began his civilian law enforcement career in Oklahoma as a police officer, then K9 officer from 2015 to 2019. He moved to Florida in 2019 and joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.
He briefly moved away in 2021 and rejoined in 2023.
Contributing: Collin Bestor, Northwest Florida Daily News; Tom McLaughlin, Pensacola News Journal; Taylor Ardrey, Gabe Hauari, James Powel; USA TODAY.
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter,@KrystalRNurse.