Florida sheriff fires deputy who killed Air Force special operations flyer

The Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy who fatally shot Senior Airman Roger Fortson in his apartment on May 3 has been fired, the sheriff's office announced Friday. Deputy Eddie Duran was fired after an administrative investigation found his use of deadly force was “not reasonably objectionable,” a Sheriff’s Office news release states.

“The objective facts of the administrative investigation concluded that Mr. Fortson had not made any hostile or offensive movement and that, therefore, the use of deadly force by the former deputy was not objectively reasonable in light of the OSCO. [Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office] policy,” the press release states.

The sheriff's office also continues to dispute allegations from Fortson's family and their attorney that Duran went to the wrong apartment in response to a call about a physical disturbance at the apartment complex, according to the news release .

Duran's body camera recorded what happened when the sheriff's deputy knocked on Fortson's apartment door.

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When Fortson opened the door, he had a gun at his side. Duran quickly shot Fortson at least five times. After Fortson fell to the ground, Duran repeatedly shouted, “Drop the gun!”

The entire incident, from the time Fortson begins to open his door to Duran's shooting and Fortson falling to the ground, lasted about five seconds.

The internal investigation that led to Duran's firing was separate from an ongoing criminal investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The sheriff's office released Friday that its policy only allows officers to use deadly force under a specific set of conditions: “When the officer reasonably believes the action is in defense of human life, including the officer's own life from the officer, or to defend any person in imminent danger of serious bodily injury.

The policy also defines “resisting deadly force” as when a person makes attacking movements – with or without a weapon – that persuade a law enforcement officer that that person intends to kill or cause serious bodily injury to the officer or others.

On Friday, the sheriff's office announced that its internal affairs investigation concluded that when Fortson opened the door to his apartment, he was holding a handgun pointed toward the ground at such a point that Duran could see the back of the gun. rise.

“The former deputy confirmed that Mr. Fortson did not physically resist him in any way, and the investigation concluded that Mr. Fortson did not point his gun in the former deputy's direction,” according to the sheriff's office.

Fortson, 23, was a special missions Airman with the 4th Special Operations Squadron assigned to the squadron's AC-130J helicopter gunships at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Hundreds of Airmen attended his funeral, and several Air Force bases across the country have held memorial events in recent weeks.

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