An Okaloosa County jury found former sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran, 38, not guilty of manslaughter with a firearm on Thursday after approximately two hours of deliberations, acquitting him in the May 2024 shooting death of U.S. Air Force Airman Roger Fortson inside his Fort Walton Beach apartment.
Fortson, a 23-year-old service member originally from Atlanta, was killed when authorities responded to an unfounded report of a domestic disturbance. Duran, who is Hispanic, was dispatched to the apartment where Fortson was stationed and repeatedly knocked on the door before Fortson answered while holding a handgun at his side with the weapon pointed toward the ground, according to authorities.
Body-camera footage captured the encounter, showing Duran firing multiple times before telling Fortson to drop the gun. The trial spanned four days in Okaloosa County, concluding with the acquittal that spared Duran from a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Following the incident, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office fired Duran.
Legal Defense and Prosecution Strategy at Trial
During the courtroom proceedings, Duran’s defense attorney argued that the former deputy was simply “doing his job” when responding to the call. The defense maintained that Fortson would still be alive if he had not armed himself before answering the door.
Conversely, the swift two-hour jury deliberation left Fortson’s mother, Chantemekki Fortson, unsurprised by the outcome. Speaking to Atlanta news outlet WXIA, she explained how the trial forced her to confront painful details she had spent the previous two years trying to avoid.
“Now I can’t do that,” she told WXIA. “Like he’s really gone. He’s never coming back. He’s never gonna say, ‘Mom, what you doing? Mom, you wanna go get something to eat? Mom, you need do your hair.’ Like I’m never going to hear my baby’s voice no more.”
Civil Rights Litigation and Ongoing Federal Court Proceedings
Although the criminal prosecution concluded with Thursday’s verdict, the legal battle surrounding the tragedy continues. One day after the acquittal, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced that Fortson’s family would pursue further accountability through the civil court system.
A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family remains pending. In a statement released on Friday, Crump addressed the ongoing pursuit of justice.
“Roger’s life and his service will always matter. His family will keep fighting for him, and we will stand with them as they pursue their civil rights case in federal court and seek accountability for the tragic loss of his life.”
