Crump has losing case—video of bLACK, Roger Fortson, answering door (holding a gun!) is a lesson on how to get killed by police

By Grand Rapids Anonymous
friday, may 10, 2024 at 2:18:00 p.m. edt

“(abc7) okaloosa county, fla. — a florida sheriff publicly released bodycam footage from a deputy who fatally shot a black airman in his home last week – and disputed claims from the victim’s family that the deputy had gone to the wrong apartment.

okaloosa county sheriff Eric Aden showed the video during a thursday news conference, shortly after an attorney for the 23-year-old airman’s family called for its public release, saying the victim’s girlfriend was facetiming with him and believes the deputy was at the wrong unit.

“the victim was identified by his family as Roger Fortson, an active-duty senior airman, according to attorney Ben Crump, who held a news conference earlier thursday. Crump and Fortson’s mother described him as a patriot who respected authority and hoped to buy his mother and younger siblings a house.

“the sheriff, who met with Fortson’s family shortly before his news conference, said he asked the florida department of law enforcement division to handle the criminal investigation, as is required. while that probe is ongoing, he said, ‘no determination has been made as to whether the deputy’s actions were justified or not.’ the deputy has been placed on administrative leave.

‘what we do know at this time is that the deputy did announce himself, not once but twice,’ Aden said. ‘mr. Fortson’s comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at the door and he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. the deputy knocked on the correct door, he did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscured its view in any way.

“But Fortson’s family reiterated their belief that authorities went to the wrong door.

“we remain adamant that the police had the wrong apartment as Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for a substantial amount of time leading up to the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment,’ Fortson’s family said in a statement following the release of the footage.

“deputies responded last friday to an apartment after receiving a call for ‘a disturbance in progress,’ Aden said in a previous statement.

“hearing sounds of a disturbance, (a deputy) reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement,’ the sheriff said.

“‘the deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries,’ said the sheriff. the deputy involved in the shooting has not been identified by officials.

“the bodycam footage, dated may 3, begins at roughly 4:28 p.m. with a deputy arriving at what appears to be an apartment complex.

“a woman at the complex is heard telling the deputy there was a disturbance in apartment 1401 and that it was ‘getting out of hand.

“the same woman tells the deputy she previously walked by the apartment and heard yells and ‘a slap,’ but added she wasn't sure where it came from.

“the deputy takes the elevator to the fourth floor and knocks on a door three times. the apartment number ‘1401’ is visible in the footage. he announces himself twice, saying, ‘sheriff’s office, open the door.’ there is nothing heard on the footage from inside the apartment.

“within seconds of the apartment’s door opening, the deputy says ‘step back,’ and is then seen firing his weapon. Fortson is seen standing at the door with his hands down and what appears to be a lowered firearm in his right hand. he immediately falls to the floor as the deputy fires. at least five shots are heard.

GRA: No case.

--GRA

N.S.: Crump will assert that because the gunman’s hand was down, it was murder.