Grieving mother demands answers nearly 2 years after Florida deputy fatally shot airman

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FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The mother of a U.S. Air Force airman shot and killed by a Florida sheriff's deputy nearly two years ago says she doesn't want people to forget about her son and is still seeking accountability so it doesn't happen to someone else.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was shot to death by a deputy responding to a disturbance call at Fortson's apartment in Fort Walton Beach, where he lived while based at nearby Hurlburt Field. The May 2024 encounter was captured on body camera video.

At a Tuesday news conference in Florida, prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Fortson's family in an ongoing federal lawsuit, said it was his mother's decision to hold the media briefing.

“She is deeply hurt and concerned that time has allowed her son’s name and his life to fade from public consciousness,” Crump said.

“We are not here to litigate facts or comment on ongoing legal proceedings," he added. "We are here because silence, delay and distance have a human cost for families who are left to grieve while waiting for answers.”

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Deputy Eddie Duran, 38, who fatally shot Fortson after being directed to Fortson's apartment while responding to a domestic violence call. Duran was charged with manslaughter with a firearm, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. It's a rarely seen criminal case filed against a Florida law officer.

Two Florida attorneys representing Duran did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Fortson’s mother, Chantimekki Fortson, said she still has many unanswered questions about the case.

“I need to know what happened to my baby,” she said.

“I have to try to learn how to live life without Roger,” she added. "I don’t think I’m going to ever learn that.”

Crump added that Fortson's mother wants to know: "How could it have been prevented and how can we make sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else’s family?” he said.

Fortson's family is from Georgia. Hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues mourned Fortson at his funeral outside Atlanta.