Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office fires deputy involved in fatal shooting of Air Force airman

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Florida (WEAR) — The Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy involved in the fatal shooting of Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson has been fired following the completion of an internal administrative investigation.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office released a statement Friday afternoon, saying the investigation determined that Deputy Eddie Duran's use of deadly force “was not objectively reasonable and therefore violated policy of the agency.”

The fatal shooting of Fortson, 23, occurred May 3 at an apartment complex on Racetrack Road in Fort Walton Beach.

“OCSO's internal administrative investigation, initiated immediately following the shooting, is separate from the active criminal investigation that remains ongoing within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement,” the sheriff's office said in his press release. “An administrative investigation conducted by the OCSO Office of Professional Standards includes reports prepared and submitted by OCSO investigators, on-scene responses, documented evidence, and official statements. It is limited in scope to determine whether Former deputy violated agency policy Both administrative and criminal investigations into the former deputy's actions are required by Florida law after a fatal deputy-involved shooting was investigated. neither of the two investigations.

WATCH: BODYCAM VIDEO SHOWS OKALOOSA COUNTY DEPUTY SHOOTING, KILLING AIR FORCE AVIATOR

The sheriff's office released a list of “object facts” as determined by its investigation:

• The former deputy was dispatched to a physical disturbance in progress at an apartment complex located at 319 Racetrack Road NW. Dispatch records confirm that the location of the disturbance is believed to have occurred in Unit 1401.

• Upon arrival at the apartment complex where he was dispatched, the former deputy met with an employee of the apartment complex who identified unit 1401 as the location of the disturbance and reported to the former deputy that there had recently been unreported disturbances in or around the location. the same apartment.

• The former deputy's interaction with the apartment complex employee and all subsequent actions were recorded by his body-worn camera.

• Upon arriving at the door of Unit 1401, the former deputy listened for noises indicating any disturbance inside the apartment. Hearing nothing, the former MP knocked without warning and waited for a response. Describing what he heard, the former deputy said he heard: “Something that makes you think it's the fucking police.”

• The former deputy knocked loudly twice again and each time announced “Sheriff’s Office.” The administrative investigation revealed that the former deputy knocked three times and announced his presence twice within approximately 40 seconds.

• When Mr. Fortson opened the door, the former deputy said he saw Mr. Fortson holding a gun in his right hand. The firearm was pointed enough toward the ground that the former deputy could clearly see the rear side of the front sight.

• The former deputy confirmed that Mr. Fortson did not physically resist him in any way, and the investigation concluded that Mr. Forston did not point his gun in the former deputy's direction.

View the full Internal Administrative Affairs investigation here:

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden released this statement Friday:

This tragic incident should never have happened. The objective facts do not support the use of deadly force as an appropriate response to Mr. Fortson's actions. Mr. Fortson did not commit any crime. By all accounts, he was an exceptional aviator and individual. Our mission at the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is to ensure the fair and equitable administration of the law, safeguard civil liberties, and preserve public safety; do so with professionalism and unity of purpose, while being good stewards of public trust. As Sheriff, I am committed to fulfilling this mission and ensuring that our deputies meet professional and safety standards that carry the inherent risk of being a first responder who, by the very nature of their vocation, must respond to potentially dangerous situations where they cannot know what they will encounter. In this case, the former MP did not meet the standard of objective reasonableness and his use of control to resist was excessive. I want to thank our dedicated team for their around-the-clock efforts to ensure a thorough review of the facts here. Since the tragedy occurred, our office has been fully accountable and transparent in its compliance with legal requirements, making numerous public statements, making available body-worn camera footage and other related documents, by meeting with Mr. Forston's family and legal counsel, and communicating openly with the U.S. Air Force and our community at large. We continue to wish Mr. Fortson's family comfort and peace.

Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field. He entered active duty on November 19, 2019.

Fortson's family hired prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump in the days after the shooting. They demanded justice in this case.

Fortson was buried May 18 in a funeral in his hometown of Atlanta. A memorial service for Fortson was also held on May 20 at Hurlburt Field.

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