U.S. Military Personnel and Justice

Nearly two years after Senior Airman Roger Fortson was shot and killed in his Fort Walton Beach apartment by Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran, Fortson’s mother is publicly renewing demands for answers and accountability. At a Florida news conference, civil-rights attorney Ben Crump said the family’s federal lawsuit continues and that Chantimekki Fortson fears her son’s case is fading from public memory as the criminal prosecution moves slowly. Sheriff Eric Aden previously fired Duran, who faces a rare Florida charge of manslaughter with a firearm, carrying up to 30 years in prison, for the May 2024 shooting that was captured on body-camera video after deputies were sent to a reported domestic disturbance. Fortson’s mother says she still doesn’t understand why her 23‑year‑old son, an airman based at nearby Hurlburt Field, was killed in his own home and wants to know how the incident could have been prevented and how similar shootings can be avoided in the future. The case remains a touchstone in debates over police use of force against Black service members and civilians, and over how often on‑duty officers are actually charged in fatal shootings.