An Air Force pilot was killed by Florida police officers who were in the wrong apartment, an attorney says

An Air Force airman who was fatally shot at his home in Okaloosa County, Florida, on Friday was killed by an officer after law enforcement officers broke into the wrong house, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wednesday.

A woman said she was on a FaceTime video call with 23-year-old Senior Airman Roger Fortson when he was killed and that he was alone and there was no disturbance, which police said was the reason for the call was, said Crump.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Friday afternoon, “Our deputy responded to a call about a disturbance where he encountered an armed man,” and the deputy shot him.

According to the woman in the FaceTime call, who did not identify Crump, Fortson heard a knock on his door and asked, “Who is it?” I received no answer and could not see anyone through the peephole, Crump said in a statement.

There was a second, aggressive knock, Crump said, citing the woman’s report.

“Concerned, he did what any other law-abiding citizen would do and retrieved his lawful weapon, but as he walked back into the living room, police burst through the door. When they saw the gun, they shot Roger six times,” Crump said in the statement.

“The witness said she saw Roger lying on the ground saying, ‘I can’t breathe,’ after he was shot,” Crump said. “She also said the police had been to the wrong apartment as there had been no disturbance in the apartment and he was alone.”

A sheriff’s spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday evening about the claim that police were at the wrong apartment.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it was investigating the shooting at the request of the sheriff’s department. Citing the ongoing investigation, the company did not provide any further information.

The district attorney’s office is also conducting an independent review, the sheriff’s office said.

Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement, “All of us at the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office are saddened by the fatal officer-involved shooting over the weekend.”

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

Hurlburt Field, the Air Force base where Fortson was assigned, said in a statement that Fortson entered active duty on Nov. 19, 2019. He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron.

“The 1st Special Operations Wing’s priorities are to provide casualty services to the family, support the squadron during this tragic time and ensure resources are available to all affected,” the base said.

Okaloosa County is located in the Florida Panhandle, east of Pensacola.