Attorneys for the family of Senior Airman Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old Air Force airman who was killed by a Florida sheriff’s deputy, are calling for officials to correct the narrative surrounding his death. Fortson was fatally shot by a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance, but his girlfriend, who was on a FaceTime call with him at the time, claims the deputy entered the wrong unit and shot Fortson when he saw he was armed. The family’s attorneys are urging the sheriff’s office to be transparent about the incident and own up to any mistakes that were made.
Senior Airman Roger Fortson was described by his family as being compassionate, intelligent, and respectful, with aspirations to be in the Air Force since he was a young boy. The family is seeking to clear Fortson’s reputation and obtain more information about the encounter that led to his death. They accuse the sheriff’s office of putting out a misleading narrative that suggests Fortson was to blame for the shooting when he had done nothing wrong. The family is demanding justice and respect for Fortson’s memory.
Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing Fortson’s family, expressed his frustration with the sheriff’s office’s account of the shooting, calling it unjustifiable. He highlighted the need for accountability and transparency in cases where law enforcement officers are involved in deadly incidents. The family is planning to review body camera footage with the sheriff’s office and intends to release it publicly to provide further clarity on what transpired.
The circumstances leading up to Fortson’s death are under scrutiny, with conflicting accounts from the family and the sheriff’s office. Fortson’s girlfriend, who witnessed the shooting via FaceTime, claims that Fortson was home alone when he heard knocking at his door, which he did not receive any response to. The girlfriend maintains that Fortson believed someone was attempting to break into his apartment, leading him to retrieve his legally owned gun for protection. Law enforcement officers eventually burst into the apartment, saw him armed, and shot him multiple times.
Following the shooting, Fortson was taken to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries. The family believes that law enforcement officers may have mistaken Fortson’s apartment for the source of a disturbance, resulting in the tragic shooting. The family has called for a thorough investigation into the incident and for the deputy involved to be held accountable. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida State Attorney’s Office are conducting independent reviews to determine the circumstances surrounding Fortson’s death.
The family of Senior Airman Roger Fortson is seeking justice and respect for his memory, as they believe his death was unjustified. They are demanding transparency and accountability from the sheriff’s office in providing more information about the fatal encounter between Fortson and the deputy. The family’s attorneys, along with civil rights advocate Benjamin Crump, are working to ensure that Fortson’s reputation is cleared and that the truth about the incident is revealed to the public. The tragic shooting has drawn comparisons to other cases involving law enforcement officers and highlights the ongoing need for transparency and accountability in such incidents.
