The former Florida sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an Air Force special operations flyer in 2024 was acquitted of manslaughter charges in the airman’s death by a Florida jury this week.
Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, served as a crewmember on AC-130J gunships with the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He was shot and killed at his apartment in 2024 by Former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran after answering his door to Duran while holding a pistol.
Duran had knocked on Fortson’s door in response to a noise complaint. The deputy immediately shot Fortson five times. Footage from a body camera worn by Duran showed that Fortson was holding a pistol as he answered the door but did not point the gun at Duran
The Okaloosa County Sheriff fired Duran less than a month later after an internal investigation determined Duran’s decision to shoot Fortson was “not objectively reasonable.”
The Florida State Attorney’s Office later charged Duran with manslaughter. Duran faced up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
A lawyer for Fortson’s family called the verdict a “painful moment.”
“Roger was a 23-year-old Senior Airman who chose to serve this country, and he was shot and killed at the door of his own home,” said attorney Ben Crump in a statement. “His family has lived with that loss every day for more than two years, and this verdict is incredibly hard for them. Roger’s life and his service will always matter. His family will keep fighting for him, and we will stand with them as they pursue their civil rights case in federal court and seek accountability for the tragic loss of his life.”
Crump said the family intends to pursue a separate federal civil rights lawsuit.
Fortson’s death drew nationwide attention and outcry from fellow service members and veterans. His funeral in 2024 drew hundreds, many of them fellow airmen, including the head of the 1st Special Operations Wing, based at Hurlburt Field. This April, personnel at the base held a memorial ruck march named in honor of Fortson.
The state attorney’s office said it accepts the jury’s decision. “We extend our continuing sympathy to his loved ones and to the Air Force community that has stood beside them,” the state attorney’s office statement said.
