FL: Body Cam Shows Police Shoot Armed Man in His Home

AmmoLand ^ | May 13, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

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At about 4:28 p.m., on May 3rd, 2024, in Okaloosa County, Florida, an Okaloosa Deputy Sheriff responded to a domestic violence call from an apartment complex. A few minutes later, the Deputy shot and killed Senior Airman Roger Fortson after Fortson opened his apartment door in response to the Deputy’s demands.

The incident has gone viral. Fortson’s family has hired controversial lawyer Ben Crump. Crump has made statements the shooting was at the wrong apartment, and Fortson was shot as he walked away from the door, and deputies burst into the apartment. From news4sanantonio.com:

Crump wrote that Fortson grabbed his “legally-owned” gun and was shot as he was walking back to the living room, as deputies burst through the door.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff released the body camera video at a press conference. Here is a synopsis of what this correspondent saw in the video.

A woman at the complex directed the Deputy Sheriff to apartment 1401 based on information she had received from another woman. The Deputy called for backup and told the woman to direct the backup to him when they arrived. The Deputy proceeded to the apartment.  He listened for several seconds at the apartment, then knocked on the door. Then he moved out of the vulnerable area in front of the door and out of the view of the peephole. Then he knocked again while out of view of the peephole.  From inside the apartment, a garbled phrase can be heard, of a few words. The only distinguishable word was “police”.

The deputy moves in front of the door, knocks loudly, and announces himself. He demands the door be opened. He knocks again, loudly announcing himself and demanding the door be opened. The door is opened partially. The deputy commands: step back.

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