On the third day of May, an officer-involved gunshot resulted in the death of an American airman who was serving on active duty. An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s officer fired and murdered 23-year-old Roger Fortson while the agency said, he was responding to “a dispute in action.”
Ben Crump, a human rights lawyer hired by the Fortson family, has charged the department of concealing wrongdoing following the incident. In a statement released, Crump stated, “The events involving Roger’s killing present significant issues that need quick responses from officials, particularly with the frightening firsthand account that the cops invaded the incorrect flat.”
Cops and family debate what happened before the incident. During a news conference, Sheriff Eric Aden refuted several of the allegations made by the Fortson family and presented cop body cam evidence demonstrating that the shooting officer had gone to the correct door when responding to the disruption report.
In the footage, which was made public, it is clear that the deputy knocked on a door and introduced himself as a deputy after receiving a particular flat number from a woman at the residential building.
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“Mr. Fortson’s remarks reveal that he did recognize it was an officer at his door entrance, and that he showed up at the entrance with a gun in his hand,” Aden said, despite the fact that there was no noise coming from the house that would suggest an assault of the kind the woman in the video was describing when the officer showed up.
According to the footage, the officer began shooting as soon as the door was opened while standing to the side of the door, out of view of the small hole in the door.
In addition, Crump organized an interview on Thursday to reveal what he claims is the true account of Fortson’s death, that he was fired in his own flat by a police officer who broke in while he was having a FaceTime discussion with his girlfriend.
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The legal office has discovered “an unverified censored 911 call,” according to a lawyer from Crump’s office, which has led them to assume that an incident had been brought to the Elan Apartment’s rental agency “from what we consider to be a 4th entity.”
She stated that although the Fortson family’s lawyers are still looking for responses, they think the disruption report is what drew officers to the site of the deadly shot.
Fortson’s relatives published a report on Thursday following their opportunity to view the body video recording. They said: “It is very disturbing that the officer gave no spoken instructions and fired several times within a few seconds of the entrance being opened, murdering Roger in the four and a half minute, strongly obscured footage.”
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Despite the redactions, the video has provided some answers, but it’s also raised even more troubling questions: As the officer didn’t tell Roger to drop the weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer try to initiate life-saving measures? Was the officer trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners?
The footage has answered some issues despite the obscurity but has also brought up more serious ones: Was the cop trained to issue verbal warnings since he didn’t instruct Roger to drop the gun before firing? Did the police attempt to start CPR? Was the police prepared to deal with law-abiding individuals who possess legal firearms?
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