A Florida jury has acquitted former Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran of manslaughter in the 2024 killing of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson.
The verdict came more than two years after Duran shot the 23-year-old Black airman at his Fort Walton Beach apartment. Duran had previously been charged with manslaughter after an internal investigation found his use of deadly force was unreasonable, while body camera footage showed Fortson opening his door with a handgun pointed toward the floor.
Jurors found Duran not guilty Thursday after a four-day trial and about two hours of deliberations. He had faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
The shooting occurred on May 3, 2024, after Duran responded to a reported domestic disturbance at Fortson’s apartment complex. Fortson was home alone and on a video call with his girlfriend. Authorities later determined he was not involved in the reported disturbance.
Body camera video showed Fortson answer his door while holding his legally owned handgun at his side, pointed down. Duran fired six times within seconds. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office fired him later that month after an internal investigation concluded Fortson did not make hostile or attacking movements and Duran’s life was not in danger.
At trial, Duran’s attorneys argued he acted in self-defense and followed his training. Prosecutors argued that seeing Fortson holding a gun did not by itself justify deadly force. The State Attorney’s Office said after the verdict that the jury had determined prosecutors did not prove manslaughter beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fortson’s family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump said they were heartbroken by the acquittal and would continue seeking accountability. The family is pursuing a federal civil rights lawsuit over the shooting.
Fortson served as a special missions aviator with the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field. The Air Force posthumously awarded him the Air and Space Commendation Medal.
A federal civil rights lawsuit from Fortson’s family against Duran remains pending.
