Lawsuit Planned Against Florida Deputy for Airman’s Fatal Shooting

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump plans to file a lawsuit against former Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran and others for the fatal shooting of 23-year-old U.S. Senior Airman Roger Fortson in May 2024. The lawsuit will allege that Duran used excessive and unconstitutional deadly force and will highlight alleged failures in training and supervision at the sheriff’s office, as well as claims that the apartment complex provided misleading information that contributed to the incident. Authorities report that Duran was responding to a false domestic disturbance call when he shot Fortson, who had opened his apartment door holding a gun pointed downward. Duran, who identifies as Hispanic, was fired after an internal investigation found his life was not in danger at the time of the shooting, though he has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and a criminal case is pending. Crump and Fortson’s family are scheduled to discuss the lawsuit at a news conference in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Fortson, who was Black, grew up in Atlanta and joined the Air Force in 2019.