May 9 (UPI) — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said that Florida’s Okaloosa County deputies arrived at the wrong apartment when they shot and killed an active duty Air Force airman last Friday.
A witness who was on a FaceTime call with Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, during the incident said he was alone in his apartment when deputies burst into his unit in response to a disturbance, Crump said in a statement Wednesday. Fortson was shot six times after authorities barged in and died at a local hospital.
Crump said Fortson had armed himself after hearing unexpected aggressive knocks at his door and deputies declined to identify themselves. Fortson was on his iPhone speaking to a witness via FaceTime at the time of the incident.
Crump said Fortson asked who was at the door and he did not get an answer.
“Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his legally owned gun but as he was walking back to the living room, police burst through the door,” Crump said in a statement. “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.’ She has also said the police were in the wrong apartment as there was no disturbance in the apartment and he was alone.”
Crump demanded the release of body-cam video from police.
“It is imperative to correct the record and acknowledge the wrongful entry into Roger’s home,” he said.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said that the deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave and has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct a review.
“All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office are saddened about the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend,” Aden said in a statement.
“At this time, we humbly ask for our community’s patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event.
