Former sheriff’s deputy faces manslaughter charges for shooting airman at his residence

A former Okaloosa County deputy, Eddie Duran, is facing a charge of manslaughter with a firearm after fatally shooting Senior Airman Roger Fortson, who had opened his apartment door with a gun in hand, according to prosecutors. The first-degree felony charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Duran has a warrant for his arrest, but he was not in custody as of Friday afternoon.

The shooting occurred on May 3 when Duran responded to a false domestic disturbance report at Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach apartment. Fortson, a 23-year-old Black man, was holding his handgun down by his side when he opened the door. Duran shot him multiple times before instructing him to drop the gun. Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden terminated Duran’s employment on May 31 after an internal investigation determined that Duran was not in imminent danger when he fired his weapon.

The NAACP local branch president, Sabu Williams, expressed approval of the manslaughter charge, describing it as appropriate in this case. Duran, who identified as Hispanic, has had few law enforcement officers in Florida being charged for on-duty killings, with only four instances in the last 35 years prior to this case.

Other incidents of law enforcement officers facing manslaughter charges in Florida include the case of four Miami-Dade officers indicted for a deadly shootout during a UPS truck hijacking and three police officers in Crestview facing trial for the death of Calvin Wilks Jr. after allegedly using a stun gun on him. Additionally, former officers like Nouman Raja and Peter Peraza have been charged with manslaughter in separate incidents.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s doctrine of “qualified immunity” for law enforcement officers makes it challenging to prosecute and convict them for questionable shootings, requiring evidence that their actions were illegal and violated clearly established law.