A Florida sheriff’s office has disclosed body camera footage depicting a sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting a U.S. airman at his apartment in response to a disturbance call last week.
The video displays a deputy from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office knocking on Senior Airman Roger Fortson’s apartment door in the Florida panhandle on Friday evening.
The deputy identifies himself as being with the sheriff’s office and instructs Fortson, 23, to step back upon opening the door.
According to Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Fortson’s family, Fortson retrieved his legally owned firearm upon hearing knocking at the door without knowing who was outside.
The bodycam video released Thursday shows the deputy initially knocking without identifying himself.
After about 30 seconds, he knocks again, announcing himself as from the sheriff’s office and requesting the door be opened.
He then identifies himself about 10 seconds later. Shortly after Fortson opens the door, the deputy shoots him as Fortson holds what appears to be a handgun by his side.
Fortson, blurred in the video, falls immediately to the ground and can be heard telling the deputy, “It’s over there. I don’t have it.”
The deputy instructs Fortson not to move and calls for emergency medical services before the video ends.
Sheriff Eric Aden of Okaloosa County expressed his discomfort in showing the video but believed it necessary for transparency.
Fortson’s family finds it troubling that the deputy fired multiple shots so quickly.
As the investigation continues, the deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the state attorney’s office are looking into the incident.
