United States: In shocking news, an active-duty US airman was mercilessly killed during a deputy-involved shooting on Friday, May 3.
More about the incidence
23-year-old Roger Fortson was killed when an Okaloosa County Sheriff deputy shot him, according to the department statement when the deputy was responding to “a disturbance in progress.”
The family of Fortson retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who accused the department of deliberately covering up mishappening and misconduct in the aftermath of the shooting.
Crump on Wednesday stated, “The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,” as USA Today reported.
Dispute between family and Sheriff’s claim
Sheriff Eric Aden had a conference with journalists on Thursday and tried to explain what didn’t happen during the shooting, but he also showed the body cam footage that was collected on that event and proved that the police officers had gone to the right door when they arrived at the call of the disturbance.
The video, released on Thursday, shows the deputy being sent to a specific room by a lady from the complex, clearly knocking, identifying himself as a deputy, as USA Today reported.
Moreover, no sound from inside the apartment induced a violent and heated argument, which was the type described by the woman in the video that was said to occur when the deputy arrived.
Aden said, “Mr. Fortson’s comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at his door and that he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand.”
What has the video indicated?
The video showed that the deputy was standing at that side of the door, which remained out of sight of the peephole, and immediately started firing after the door was opened.
Crump also held a press conference Thursday to present what he says is the real story of how Fortson died: shot inside his own apartment by a cop who had burst in while he conversed over Facetime with his girlfriend.
Crump’s office attorney stated that the law firm had located “an unofficial redacted 911 call,” which led them to consider a disturbance had been reported to the leasing office at the Elan Apartment “from what we believe to be a fourth party.”
What more has the family stated?
On Thursday, after getting to review the body camera footage, Fortson’s family released a statement saying, “In the four-and-a-half minute, heavily redacted video, it is very troubling that the deputy gave no verbal commands and shot multiple times within a split second of the door being opened, killing Roger. Despite the redactions, the video has provided some answers, but it’s also raised even more troubling questions: As the officer didn’t tell Roger to drop the weapon before shooting, was the officer trained to give verbal warnings? Did the officer try to initiate life-saving measures? Was the officer trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners?”