US airman shot and killed by Florida lawmaker | Family reaction

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The family of an Atlanta Air Force airman killed by sheriff’s deputies in Florida gathered Thursday for an emotional conference to redefine his life and legacy.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old U.S. service member, was fatally shot May 3 after the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy responded to a call about a disturbance in progress “in self-defense after he had pushed a 23-year-old man armed with a weapon.

11Alive confirmed with attorneys Wednesday evening that Fortson was from Atlanta and graduated from McNair High School in DeKalb County. After graduating, Fortson enlisted in the Air Force, where he was stationed in the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field – right near Fort Walton Beach.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined the family along with fellow Florida resident Brian Barr.

You can watch the full conference in the video below:

During Thursday’s press conference, Fortson’s mother, Mica, fought back tears as she described her son as “a gift.”

“Where we come from, you don’t end up where Roger ended up,” she said of her son’s journey to the Air Force.

Fortson was later described as someone who was kind, intelligent, humble and passionate, and was an inspirational figure in his family’s life.

“My child taught us how to love and forgive,” Mica added.

The young airman was also described by Crump as someone who “wanted to do something good for his mother, his siblings and his family so they could have a chance at the American dream.”

“Roger Fortson was the best America had to offer. He was a patriot…He fought for our way of life,” Crump said.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Fortson was having a FaceTime conversation with a woman at the time of the encounter.

According to Crump, the woman, who Crump did not identify, said Fortson was alone in his apartment when he heard a knock on the door. He asked who was there but got no answer. A few minutes later, Fortson heard louder knocking but saw no one when he looked through the peephole, Crump said, citing the woman’s account.

The woman said Fortson was concerned and picked up his gun, which Crump said was legally owned.

As Fortson walked back through his living room, officers burst through the door, saw Fortson was armed and shot him six times, according to Crump’s statement. The woman said Fortson was lying on the ground and saying, “I can’t breathe” after he was shot, Crump said.

Fortson died at a hospital, officials said. The deputy involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

The woman said Fortson did not cause a disturbance during her FaceTime call and assumed the officers had been at the wrong apartment, Crump’s statement said.

In Thursday’s conference, Crump noted, “For some reason they thought he was a bad guy, but he was a good guy…they killed a good guy.”

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a 911 call about a disturbance at the apartment complex responded in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The office did not say what type of disturbance officers were responding to or who called them.

The sheriff’s office also declined to immediately identify the responding officers or their origins. The office did not respond to an email or phone message Wednesday. Officials said earlier this week that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local prosecutor’s office will investigate the shooting.