His name was Roger Fortson and he was only 23 years old. On May 3, this young American Air Force soldier was shot dead in his apartment by a police officer called over an argument. During a press conference Thursday, the family’s lawyer claimed that the agent had the wrong apartment and did not show up during his check.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden eventually presented the video taken by the officer’s body camera at the time of the incident. Here is what we see there.
It is May 3rd around 4:30 p.m. The police officer gets out of his car and goes towards the man who apparently made the call. He then crosses paths with a woman and questions her about the arguments she witnessed. The police officer then asks him to show him where the events took place. That’s when she gave him the number of apartment 1401.
The police officer then gets into an elevator and appears in front of said apartment. He listens at the door for a few seconds. No noise emanates from the accommodation. The policeman then knocks the first time, without introducing himself. He knocks a second time and says, “Sheriff’s office! Open the door!” he shouts. He knocks a third time, and announces himself again: “Sheriff’s office! Open the door!” .
We then hear movement on the other side of the door, then Roger Forston opens it. He is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. The young man has a weapon in his hand, the barrel visibly pointed towards the ground. Everything then happens very quickly:
– “Step back,” says the policeman. Then he takes out his gun and shoots the young man six times.
– “Drop your gun, drop your gun,” the police officer yells.
– “It’s over there,” Fortson said.
– “Drop your weapon,” the policeman retorts again.
– “I don’t have it,” Fortson replied, lying on the ground, injured.
The deputy calls the paramedics on his radio.
Roger Forston dies from his injuries. The officer was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Hours earlier, Ben Crump, the family’s lawyer heavily involved in cases of police violence against black people, claimed that the agency had raided the wrong apartment and that he had not told Roger to drop his gun before shooting “several times in a split second after the door opened.”
“We remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment because Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for some time before the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment.” he writes in the press release. Crump also told reporters earlier that Fortson was talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime and that he grabbed his gun because he heard someone outside his apartment. He said the deputy forced the door open, citing the girlfriend’s account.
“The girlfriend acknowledges that although she initially thought the door was forced open by police, she maintains her emotional memories of what happened,” Crump said in a later statement. Sheriff Aden said he met with the family before showing the video to reporters. “This outcome is one we never hope to encounter,” Aden said. “These investigations take time, but I want to assure you that we are not hiding or trying to cover up anything,” he added.
