Posted on 05/10/2024 2:23:47 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
The family of a 23-year-old US Airman who was fatally shot by a Florida sheriff's deputy retained prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Roger Fortson was shot and killed inside his apartment on Friday when an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy responding to a disturbance call "reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun."
"We demand accountability for those responsible for his death," Crump said in an email to Newsweek. "And we stand in solidarity with Roger's family and friends as they navigate this unimaginable loss."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
Your point? You don’t have the right to answer the door with a firearm at your side?
He was a gunner on AC-13O Ghostrider Special Ops Sq, Hurlburt field, AFB.
I live just a couple miles from there, yeah, it was a bad situation, everyone I talked to said it was bad shoot.
I’m retired AF, lots of young guys around, tragic and sad how it happened.
It might have reasonable for the cop to suspect that the kid was meaning to do him harm...given that it was a "domestic" that he was called to.
Yes,it also would have been reasonable for the kid to fear that this was some kind of home invasion...in which case it would have been reasonable for him to have a gun.
IMO the single most important factor here is the cop having been directed to the wrong apartment.
What *can't* be explained in an innocent way is the cop having been directed to the wrong apartment.
:: took the cop to the wrong apartment. But the victim answered the door with a gun in his hand after the cop knocked ::
Cop reacted badly.
The Airman’s family has a case.
The underlying factors of ‘race’ are NOT part of the supporting evidence.
All that it’s true. And the pistol was being held in his right hand, down by his side. In the very first second, at the -mere sight- of a gun, the cop opened fire. He isn’t cut out for cop work.
Bad shoot.
Hate to say it, but contrast the reaction here to that well to do airport manager in Arkansas getting killed by ATF a few weeks ago.
They're not suing the apartment owner; his pockets aren't deep enough.
If the deceased were white, you would not even hear about the incident, except locally.
I’ve seen the video. The gun was holstered. This is murder.
Ping. Your neck of the woods.
Yeah, might be “unwise” if it is truly a cop at your door...but the home invasion robber can yell out “Police, open up” too. Going to your own door with a firearm at your side (even for a real cop at the door) should not be a death sentence. The video here (top of the page) edits out the few key frames just after the door opens...cannot tell if the gun was pointed or not:
https://www.newsweek.com/roger-fortson-killed-florida-deputy-benjamin-crump-1898963
As for the owner...if it was a condo he was in then there might be just one owner.But if it was a true "apartment" complex there's one individual or corporation that owns *all* the units. In that case the family could wind up owning the entire complex.
And you're probably right about the race part.
Bottom line, cops are not allowed or trained to shoot without warning at the mere presence of a gun. Kid never made a move with it. It isn’t common, but it isn’t rare to answer the door with a pistol. No loud arguing, nothing as the cop walked up. Peephole means nothing because cops always stand to the side.
Kid opens the door and is instantly shot multiple times.
Cop screwed up, kid wasn’t a crook but was a good citizen. Apartment guy taking him there is no excuse. What if your ex wife send cops to your house for some odd reason and you take your pistol with you to the door?
No
The still photo of the encounter with door open CLEARLY shows gun in right hand down by his side, but yeah, black man with gun, bang bang bang bang bang bang
I'll wager that the race pimp that the family hired would disagree...*strongly* disagree.
I agree. Cop shouldn’t face a criminal charges. But it was a bad shoot and the County and the apartments are wide open for a civil suit.
It's perfectly legal to answer your door with a firearm (provided one isn't brandishing it or pointing it without provocation). It's not unheard of for home invaders to announce themselves as law enforcement, delivery men, utility workers, etc.
This airman was shot for a perfectly legal act; however, the filthy cowardice of the deputy has now been matched by the equally filthy bottom feeding of Crump.
The family would have been far better advised to seek a reputable, lower profile attorney.
Nope...being sent to the wrong apartment is a big excuse for the cop. And,OTOH,it's pretty clear that the kid didn't need an excuse given that he was doing nothing wrong and yet found himself facing a cop who thought he was responding to a domestic. And we know that domestics often involve enraged psychopath guys with guns or knives.
At the worst it’s unintentional manslaughter.
CC
1- everybody has an opinion.
2- so home invaders just gotta yell “open da doh, izza PO-leece” and victims now gotta believe it and let them in sans sidearm? So you’re capped if you do, capped if you don’t.
3- Ben Crump? Mein Gott im Himmel,it’s black riot season already? I gotta take down my “f**k Palestine” signs back in Maryland.
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