Lawsuit planned over Florida deputy's shooting of US airman who was killed in his own home

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Prominent civilian rights lawyer Ben Crump says helium volition record a suit against a erstwhile Florida sheriff's lawman and others for the May 2024 shooting decease of 23-year-old U.S. Senior Airman Roger Fortson.

Former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran changeable and killed Fortson, who was Black, astatine the doorway of Fortson's apartment. Duran has pleaded not blameworthy to manslaughter. That transgression lawsuit is pending.

Crump plans a quality league Tuesday day with Fortson household members successful Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to sermon the lawsuit.

What is the suit about?

Crump says his suit volition contend that Duran utilized “excessive and unconstitutional deadly force” successful the shooting. It volition besides outline what it calls failures of grooming and supervision astatine the sheriff's bureau and assertion the flat analyzable wherever Fortson was changeable provided “misleading, unverified information” that led to the convulsive response.

How did the shooting unfold?

Authorities accidental Duran had been directed to Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach flat successful effect to a home disturbance study that turned retired to beryllium false. After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the doorway portion holding his handgun astatine his side, pointed down. Authorities accidental Duran changeable him aggregate times earlier telling Fortson to driblet the gun.

Who is Eddie Duran?

Duran, 39, began his instrumentality enforcement vocation arsenic a subject constabulary serviceman successful the Army. An Oklahoma constabulary section hired him successful 2015 aft his subject discharge. He joined the Okaloosa County sheriff’s bureau successful 2019, resigned 2 years aboriginal and past rejoined the sheriff’s bureau successful 2023.

Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran aft Fortson's decease due to the fact that an interior probe concluded Duran's beingness was not successful information erstwhile helium opened fire.

Duran identifies arsenic Hispanic, according to his elector registration.

Who was Roger Fortson?

Fortson grew up successful Atlanta and joined the Air Force successful 2019, the twelvemonth helium graduated from precocious school.

The flat analyzable wherever Fortson lived is astir 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Hurlburt Field. He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron arsenic a peculiar missions aviator, wherever 1 of his roles was to load a gunship’s 30 mm and 105 mm weapons.

His decease was 1 of a increasing database of killings of Black radical by instrumentality enforcement successful their ain homes. It besides renewed statement implicit Florida’s “stand your ground” law.

What is the presumption of the transgression lawsuit against Duran?

The lawsuit is successful the pretrial proceeding phase, with a proceeding connected motions acceptable for May 20. Duran is retired of jailhouse connected bond.

Who is Ben Crump?

Crump, 55, is simply a well-known Black lawyer based successful Tallahassee, Florida, who has worked connected galore high-profile civilian close cases and wrongful decease lawsuits. His cases person included those involving different Black radical who person been killed by instrumentality enforcement, including Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Michael Brown.