By Jerald Jimenez
Aug 27, 2024, 5:47 PM EDT
A former Okaloosa County, Florida, deputy was arrested Monday on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Roger Fortson, a senior U.S. Air Force airman.
Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille announced Friday that Eddie Duran, 38, faces a first-degree felony charge, which could carry up to 30 years in prison.
The arrest came after he voluntarily turned himself in to authorities. According to records, he was booked into the county jail and his first court appearance will be held via video conference on Tuesday morning.
Duran reportedly went to Fortson’s apartment in response to a report of a domestic disturbance, which turned out to be false. When he opened the door, the victim was holding a handgun pointed at the floor.
Duran then fired several shots before ordering Fortson to drop the gun, resulting in his death, according to reports. The suspect was revealed to have claimed to have seen aggression in Fortson’s eyes and fired out of fear of being attacked.
Evidence against Duran
An internal investigation concluded that Duran’s life was not in danger at the time of the shooting. Outside experts have also noted that an officer cannot shoot just because a suspect has a gun if there is no immediate threat.
Duran began his career as a military police officer in the Army. He joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in July 2019, but resigned two years later due to his wife’s transfer to a naval hospital. He returned to the sheriff’s office in June 2023.
Personnel records show Duran was reprimanded in 2021 for failing to complete address verification for registered sex offenders and for leaving his post at a high school before the end of school hours.
According to 911 call records, officers had never been called to Fortson’s apartment before, although they had been called to a nearby unit 10 times over the previous eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance.
With information from The Associated Press