Jury Acquits Ex-Deputy in Fortson Shooting

An Okaloosa County jury acquitted former Florida sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran, 38, on Thursday in the 2024 shooting death of Black U.S. Air Force Airman Roger Fortson. Duran faced a charge of manslaughter with a firearm, which carried a potential sentence of up to 30 years.

The verdict concluded a high-profile case stemming from a May 2024 domestic disturbance call at Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach apartment near Hurlburt Field. Duran, who is Hispanic, was a deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office at the time. The office initially stated the deputy reacted in self-defense after encountering a man armed with a gun.

Body camera footage shows Duran banging on Fortson’s door, shouting, “Sheriff’s office! Open the door!” twice. When Fortson opened the door holding what appeared to be a handgun pointed downward, Duran yelled, “Step back!” and fired shots. He then shouted, “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” Fortson, on the ground, responded, “It’s over there,” and “I don’t have it.” Fortson later died at a hospital.

Authorities confirmed Fortson was alone in his apartment speaking with his girlfriend on the phone when the call prompted Duran's response. The domestic disturbance report was later determined to be false.

Fortson was a missions operator assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, serving as a member of the AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew.

The State Attorney’s office accepted the jury’s verdict, stating the state “did not prove the criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt.” The office acknowledged the verdict would cause “pain, anger, or disappointment for many people,” particularly those viewing Fortson’s death within the broader context of law enforcement encounters.

Duran was fired from the sheriff’s office after an internal investigation concluded his life was not in danger when he shot Fortson. Duran’s attorney, Rod Smith, maintained the shooting was a police officer safety issue and that Duran followed training. Smith stated Fortson “absolutely knew a police officer was at the door” and “answered the door with a semiautomatic pistol in his hand.”

Fortson’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit last year against Duran, Sheriff Eric Aden, and others, represented by attorney Ben Crump. Crump expressed the family’s heartbreak over the verdict, stating they have lived with the loss for over two years.