(NEW YORK) — Former deputy Eddie Duran has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of United States Air Force Sr. Airman Roger Fortson who was killed in his own home, the Florida state attorney said Monday.
Duran is being held in the Okaloosa County Jail on no bond and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday morning, online jail records show. It is unclear if he has an attorney at this time.
His arrest comes after the Florida state attorney filed one count of manslaughter with a firearm against him on Friday. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Fortson, 23, was in his home in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, on May 3 when Duran responded to the apartment for a call reporting a domestic disturbance, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Fortson was alone in the apartment at the time.
In body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office, Fortson is seen holding a gun in his right hand with his arm extended downward and the muzzle pointing at the floor as he opens the door in response to the deputy, who can be heard announcing twice that he’s with the sheriff’s office. The footage, reviewed by ABC News, also shows Fortson had his left hand up, palm showing, gesturing towards the deputy when he opened the door.
Duran shot Fortson within seconds of the door opening, according to the footage. Fortson died of his injuries.
The deputy said he saw Fortson armed with a gun and that Fortson took a step toward the deputy and had a look of aggression in his eyes, according to an interview Duran conducted with the sheriff’s office during their subsequent investigation.
The deputy was terminated from the department in May, according to a sheriff’s department statement obtained by ABC News.
Fortson’s girlfriend, who asked not to be identified due to fears for her safety, spoke in May to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV, telling the station her and Fortson were having a conversation on the phone about weekend plans when the shooting occurred.
“We continue to wish Mr. Fortson’s family comfort and peace, as the former deputy’s criminal case proceeds,” the Oklaloosa County Sheriff’s Office previously told ABC News in a statement. “We stand by our decision to terminate Mr. Duran as a result of the administrative internal affairs investigation that found his use of force was not objectively reasonable.”
A sweep of the home did not find another person in the apartment besides Fortson, police said. In the body camera video, a woman, presumed to be a building manager, explains to the officer that someone in the building notified her of the disturbance and that she called police.
Fortson’s family said in a statement to ABC News on Friday that the charges marked a “first step towards justice” in the case.
“Nothing can ever bring Roger back, and our fight is far from over, but we are hopeful that this arrest and these charges will result in real justice for the Fortson family,” the statement said. “Let this be a reminder to law enforcement officers everywhere that they swore a solemn oath to protect and defend, and their actions have consequences, especially when it results in the loss of life.”
The state attorney’s office said it’s very limited in what they can say because this is still an ongoing investigation. No press conferences are scheduled at this time.
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