Jury Decides Ex-Deputy's Fate In Fatal Shooting Of Airman In FL

OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL — A jury has acquitted a former Florida deputy after a police shooting killed an airman at his home in 2024, family attorneys said Friday.

A jury in Okaloosa County on Thursday found former deputy Eddie Duran not guilty of manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump's office said.

The fatal shooting happened when Duran responded to a disturbance call and entered the wrong apartment, Crump said in the past.

State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden on Thursday released a statement following the verdict. She thanked the jurors and said prosecutors opted to try the case after a thorough review.

"A not-guilty verdict means the State did not prove the criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of every juror. It does not diminish the life, service or humanity of Roger Fortson, and it does not lessen the devastating loss his family, friends and fellow airmen endured," Madden's office said.

"We understand that this verdict will cause pain, anger or disappointment for many people, particularly some members of the community who view Senior Airman Fortson’s death within a context of encounters nationally involving law enforcement. Those reactions should not be dismissed. We urge everyone responding to today’s decision to do so peacefully and with respect for the Fortson family’s dignity."

The shooting took place on May 3, 2024 at Fortson's Fort Walton Beach apartment. At the time, Fortson was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle.

Fortson, an Atlanta native who graduated from McNair High School in East Atlanta (Georgia), was fatally shot six times, Crump said.

A witness who was on Facetime with Fortson said the late airman was alone in his home, according to Crump's office.

Fortson asked who was at his door after hearing a knock but did not receive a response, Crump's office said. A more aggressive knock came after a few minutes, and when Fortson did not see anyone out of the peephole, he retrieved a gun, Crump's office said.

" ... as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door. When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times. The witness has said that she saw Roger on the ground stating, 'I can’t breathe,' after he was shot," Crump's office said, adding the deputy entered the wrong apartment.

The jury deliberated for two hours before issuing a verdict, and Duran faced a maximum sentence of 30 years, ABC News reported. Duran reportedly testified he acted in self-defense.

"Looking at his eyes, it was clear to me that I wasn't welcomed," he said, per ABC News. "I wasn't a welcome presence. He seemed aggressive, frustrated, and again, just I'm not welcome. ... I thought I was dead. As soon as the door opened and I saw it, I immediately thought, 'I'm dead.'"

Assistant State Attorney Mark Alderman, while prosecuting the case, said Fortson did not pose a threat to Duran and that the airman had a gun because he was unsure of who was at the door, per CBS News.

Body camera footage reportedly showed Fortson holding the gun toward the ground.

Alderman reportedly argued Fortson was repeatedly shot in his left arm because he raised it in an effort to not be shot.

Less than a month after the shooting, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden terminated Duran, according to Crump's office and news reports.

Ultimately, the State Attorney's Office charged Duran with manslaughter.

"This prosecution was not an attack on law enforcement. Deputies perform essential and often dangerous work every day, and are entitled to the same presumption of innocence and fair process as everyone else accused of a crime," Madden's office said.

"At the same time, the authority to use deadly force must remain subject to independent review. Presenting disputed evidence to a jury is part of that accountability and is essential to public trust."

Fortson's family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Duran and Aden in May 2025. The result of that lawsuit was not immediately known.

Crump reacted to the verdict in a statement released Friday. It read:

"This is a painful moment for everyone who loved Roger Fortson, and his family is heartbroken. Roger was a 23-year-old Senior Airman who chose to serve this country, and he was shot and killed at the door of his own home. His family has lived with that loss every day for more than two years, and this verdict is incredibly hard for them.

"Roger's life and his service will always matter. His family will keep fighting for him, and we will stand with them as they pursue their civil rights case in federal court and seek accountability for the tragic loss of his life."

Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump

Fortson graduated from high school with honors before enlisting in the Air Force, Crump's office said in the past. He had no criminal record and was a "stellar member of the Air Force and loved by his community," Crump's office said.

He died nearly three months before the fatal shooting of his younger brother in August 2024 in DeKalb County (Georgia).

At the time, police told Patch that two groups of people had been exchanging gunfire when his brother was killed. Neighbors told WSB-TV Fortson's brother was believed to be an innocent bystander.

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