A former Florida sheriff’s deputy charged with killing a Black U.S. Air Power senior airman who answered his house door whereas holding a gun pointed towards the bottom was arrested Monday, officers mentioned.
Former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran, 38, was charged with manslaughter with a firearm within the Might 3 taking pictures demise of 23-year-old Roger Fortson, Assistant State Legal professional Greg Marcille introduced Friday. The cost is a first-degree felony punishable by as much as 30 years in jail.
Duran was booked into the county jail Monday, data present. Marcille confirmed his arrest to The Related Press.
“He did, in actual fact, flip himself in,” Marcille mentioned in a phone interview, including that Duran’s preliminary court docket look shall be by way of video hyperlink Tuesday morning. “He shall be held in custody pending his preliminary look.”
An legal professional representing Duran didn’t instantly reply to an e mail searching for remark.
Authorities say Duran had been directed to Fortson’s Fort Walton Seaside house in response to a home disturbance report that turned out to be false.
After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the door whereas holding his handgun at his facet, pointed down. Authorities say that Duran shot him a number of instances; solely then did he inform Fortson to drop the gun.
On Friday, the day the cost was introduced, candles and framed images of Fortson in uniform graced the doorway of the house the place he was killed.
Based on the interior affairs report of the taking pictures, Duran advised investigators that when Fortson opened the door, he noticed aggression within the airman’s eyes. He mentioned he fired as a result of, “I’m standing there considering I’m about to get shot, I’m about to die.”
Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran on Might 31 after an inner investigation concluded his life was not in peril when he opened hearth. Exterior regulation enforcement specialists have additionally mentioned that an officer can’t shoot solely as a result of a attainable suspect is holding a gun if there isn’t any risk.
Duran is a regulation enforcement veteran, beginning as a army police officer within the Military. He joined the Okaloosa County sheriff’s workplace in July 2019, however resigned two years later, saying his spouse, a nurse, had been transferred to a Naval hospital out of the world. He rejoined the sheriff’s workplace in June 2023.
Okaloosa personnel data present he was reprimanded in 2021 for not finishing his task to verify the addresses of three registered intercourse offenders by visiting their houses, telling a colleague he didn’t care about them. Then assigned to a highschool as its on-campus deputy, he was additionally disciplined that 12 months for leaving the varsity earlier than the ultimate bell and the scholars’ departure. Florida regulation requires that an armed guard be on campus when class is in session.
Information of 911 calls present deputies had by no means been known as to Fortson’s house beforehand however that they had been summoned to a close-by unit 10 instances within the earlier eight months, together with as soon as for a home disturbance.
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Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida. Martin reported from Atlanta.
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