Former Florida deputy arrested in deadly shooting of airman at his home
Hundreds of friends, family and teammates gather for Senior Airman Roger Fortson’s funeral service at Hurlburt Field, Florida. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alex Stephens)
CRESTVIEW, Fla. - A former Florida sheriff's deputy was arrested Monday after being charged with the fatal shooting of a Black U.S. Air Force senior airman who answered his apartment door holding a gun pointed toward the ground, officials said.
Eddie Duran, 38, a former deputy with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, faces a charge of manslaughter with a firearm in the May 3 shooting of 23-year-old Roger Fortson, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille announced Friday. The charge, a first-degree felony, carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Duran was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail on Monday, according to jail records. Marcille confirmed Duran's arrest in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
"He did, in fact, turn himself in," Marcille said, adding that Duran's initial court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning via video link. "He will be held in custody pending his initial appearance."
An attorney representing Duran did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities said Duran was dispatched to Fortson's apartment in response to a domestic disturbance report that was later found to be false. After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the door with a handgun at his side, pointed down. Duran then shot Fortson multiple times, authorities said, before telling him to drop the weapon.
On Friday, the day the charges were announced, candles and framed photos of Fortson in uniform were placed at the doorway of the apartment where he was killed.
According to an internal affairs report on the shooting, Duran told investigators that when Fortson opened the door, he perceived aggression in the airman’s eyes. "I’m standing there thinking I’m about to get shot, I’m about to die," Duran reportedly said.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden terminated Duran on May 31 after an internal investigation determined that Duran's life was not in danger when he fired his weapon. External law enforcement experts have also stated that officers are not justified in shooting a person solely because they are holding a gun if there is no direct threat.
Duran has a background in law enforcement, beginning his career as a military police officer in the Army. He initially joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in July 2019 but resigned two years later, citing his wife's transfer to a Naval hospital outside the area. He rejoined the sheriff's office in June 2023.
Duran’s personnel records reveal past disciplinary issues, including a reprimand in 2021 for failing to complete his assignment to verify the addresses of three registered sex offenders. He also faced discipline while assigned as an on-campus deputy at a high school for leaving the school grounds before the final bell and before students had left, despite Florida law requiring an armed guard to be present during school hours.
Records show that deputies had not previously been called to Fortson's apartment, but they had responded to a nearby unit 10 times in the past eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance.
A mug shot for Duran was not immediately available.
The Associated Press contributed to this report