Former Okaloosa County Deputy Acquitted in Fatal Shooting of Airman Roger Fortson

Eddie Duran, a former Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy, was acquitted Thursday of one count of manslaughter with a firearm in the May 3, 2024, shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict after just over two hours of deliberation.

Kate Payne/AP Photo, FILE - PHOTO: Eddie Duran sits in an Okaloosa County courtroom on Aug. 29, 2024, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Details of the Incident

Fortson, 23, was inside his Fort Walton Beach apartment and on the phone with his girlfriend when deputies were dispatched for a reported domestic disturbance. According to authorities, Fortson opened his apartment door while holding a legally owned handgun and was shot by Duran, who had been sent to the residence. Duran was later fired from the sheriff's office and charged with manslaughter.

Air force - PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson was shot in his home by a Florida sheriff's deputy.

Trial Testimony and Evidence

Duran, 38, testified that he acted in self-defense and described feeling an immediate threat when Fortson opened the door. He told jurors, in part, that "looking at his eyes, it was clear to me that I wasn't welcomed" and that he "thought I was dead" when the door opened.

Brynn Anderson/AP Photo, FILE - PHOTO: A mourner holds a funeral program near the casket of slain airman Roger Fortson during his funeral at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, on May 17, 2024, near Atlanta.

"Looking at his eyes, it was clear to me that I wasn't welcomed. I wasn't a welcome presence. He seemed aggressive, frustrated, and again, just I'm not welcome," Duran testified.

"I thought I was dead. As soon as the door opened and I saw it, I immediately thought, 'I'm dead.'"

Prosecutors countered that Fortson posed "no threat," pointing jurors to body-worn camera footage shown at trial that, they said, demonstrated Fortson's gun was pointed at the ground when Duran fired. Assistant State Attorney Mark Alderman argued Fortson made no aggressive move and that many of his wounds entered the left arm as he raised it, suggesting he was trying to shield himself.

Gerald Herbert/AP Photo, FILE - PHOTO: Chantemekki Fortson, mother of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Air Force senior airman, holds a photo of her son during a news conference with attorney Ben Crump, May 9, 2024, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

"There was no threat. The gun was pointed at the ground," Alderman told jurors. "Roger's last act was to, in essence, plead to not be shot. The defendant completely ignored it."

Defense counsel Rod Smith said Duran reasonably feared an imminent threat when Fortson opened the door holding a handgun and that the deputy acted in accordance with law-enforcement training for a close encounter. Smith emphasized that officers are not trained to wait until a weapon is pointed directly at them before responding.

Aftermath and Reactions

State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden's office issued a statement after the verdict noting prosecutors "respect" the jury's decision and thanking jurors for their service. The statement also acknowledged the loss suffered by Fortson's family and colleagues, stressing that a not-guilty verdict means the state did not meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt for every juror.

Fortson's family publicly grieved his death earlier in the year; his mother spoke at a May 9 news conference with civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, and Fortson's funeral was held on May 17, 2024, at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta. ABC News reached out to Duran's attorneys and Fortson's family for comment. Reporting also included contributions from ABC News' Sabina Ghebremedhin.