Who is Roger Fortson? US airman killed by sheriff officer in Florida

The U.S. soldier fatally shot by a Florida sheriff’s deputy on Friday has been identified by the Air Force as Senior Airman Roger Fortson.

Fortson, 23, was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida, according to the Air Force. He began active duty on November 19, 2019.

Dozens wrote heartfelt messages about Fortson on the Hurburt Field Facebook post, describing him as a “phenomenal human being” who “always had a smile on his face.” One of his instructors, U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Curtis Lassiter, called him a “very bright young man” who was “one of the best students to come through training.”

“Roger was a very humble and gentle guy,” said his cousin Keon Johnson. “He was always happy and smiling.”

Johnson called Forston “very, very smart” and recalled that his fifth-grade criterion-reference proficiency test scores were “extremely high and exceeded the standard.”

“I was so shocked because I’ve never seen anything like this,” Johnson said. “I knew then that my cousin was very special and could do whatever his heart desired.”

Forston loved playing video games and playing soccer.

“He definitely didn’t deserve what happened to him,” Johnson said.

He served as a gunner on the AC-130J Ghostrider, providing close air support and armed reconnaissance.

How the fatal officer-involved shooting unfolded

An officer responding to a disturbance call “responded in self-defense after encountering a 23-year-old male armed with a weapon,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Friday.

According to the Air Force, Forston, who was from Atlanta, was at his off-base apartment on Racetrack Road when the shooting occurred around 4:30 p.m.

Fortson was taken to the hospital where he died.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave “pending the outcome of a formal investigation and administrative review.”

“To protect the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time,” Hurlburt Field’s Facebook page said.

The 1st Special Operations Wing is providing casualty services to Fortson’s family and a base-wide message was sent about mental health resources.