
Florida Jury Acquits Deputy in Fatal Shooting of Airman Roger Fortson
A Florida jury acquitted former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran of manslaughter in the 2024 shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson. The verdict, reached after two hours of deliberation, ends the criminal case but leaves a federal civil rights lawsuit pending. Duran, 38, faced up to 30 years in prison. Fortson, 23, was killed in his Fort Walton Beach apartment after answering the door with a handgun during a false domestic disturbance call. The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, vowed to pursue accountability through civil courts. Duran’s defense argued he acted in self-defense, while prosecutors claimed Fortson posed no threat.
