Florida deputies forcibly entered wrong apartment, fatally shot armed Air Force airman, attorney

Florida deputies who responded to a disturbance call at an apartment complex May 3 entered the wrong unit and shot a U.S. Air Force airman to death, says an attorney for the family.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was home by himself when deputies came into the apartment and saw he was armed with a gun, according to attorney Ben Crump.

Crump said Fortson was on a Facetime call with a woman when the incident occurred. He first heard a knock at the door but didn't see anyone outside the door when he looked through the peephole. Crump said Fortson went to another part of the apartment to get his gun and starting walking back toward the living room.

After knocking initially, the deputies eventually burst into the apartment and shot Fortson when they saw he was armed, according to Crump, who cited the unidentified woman's account.

The Associated Press reported Thursday the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has yet to return requests for comment about Crump’s claims. Sheriff Eric Aden posted a statement Wednesday on Facebook expressing sadness about the shooting.

“At this time, we humbly ask for our community’s patience as we work to understand the facts that resulted in this tragic event,” he said.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The deputies involved reportedly have been placed on administrative leave during an ongoing investigation.