Democracy Dies in Darkness

Deputy fatally shot Black airman after entering wrong apartment, lawyer says

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was alone in his apartment when Florida authorities looking into a disturbance burst in, according to a witness cited by the lawyer.

By
May 9, 2024 at 3:20 a.m. EDT
Senior Airman Roger Fortson in December 2019. (U.S. Air Force/AP)
3 min

A Florida deputy fatally shot a Black Air Force airman last week after forcibly entering the wrong apartment, his family’s attorney alleged in a news release, citing information from a witness.

The witness — who was on FaceTime with Senior Airman Roger Fortson during the incident — said Fortson, 23, was alone in his apartment when the authorities entered, according to the statement released Wednesday by attorney Ben Crump’s office.