A former sheriff’s deputy from Florida was arrested on Monday after being charged with the fatal shooting of a Black U.S. Air Force Senior Airman who had opened his apartment door holding a gun pointed toward the ground, officials reported.
Eddie Duran, 38, a former deputy with Okaloosa County, faces a manslaughter charge with a firearm in connection with the May 3rd death of 23-year-old Roger Fortson. The charge, announced by Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille on Friday, is a first-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
According to jail records, Duran was taken into custody on Monday. Marcille confirmed his arrest to The Associated Press, stating, “He did, in fact, turn himself in.” Duran is scheduled to make his initial court appearance via video link on Tuesday morning and will remain in custody until then.
Duran’s attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Authorities stated that Duran had been dispatched to Fortson’s apartment in Fort Walton Beach following a report of a domestic disturbance, which was later determined to be false.
When Fortson answered the door, he was holding a handgun at his side, with the barrel pointed downward. Authorities say Duran fired multiple shots at Fortson before instructing him to drop the weapon.
On the day the charge was announced, candles and framed photos of Fortson in his military uniform were placed at the doorway of the apartment where he was killed.
In the internal affairs report, Duran told investigators that he believed Fortson posed an immediate threat when he opened the door. He claimed, “I’m standing there thinking I’m about to get shot, I’m about to die.”
However, Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden terminated Duran on May 31, following an internal investigation that concluded Duran’s life was not in danger when he opened fire. Law enforcement experts outside the department also noted that an officer cannot shoot solely because a person is holding a gun unless there is a clear threat.
Duran’s law enforcement career began as a military police officer in the Army. He joined the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in July 2019 but resigned two years later when his wife, a nurse, was transferred to a Naval hospital out of the area. He rejoined the sheriff’s office in June 2023.
Read More: Former Tennessee Officer Charged in Tyre Nichols’ Death Set to Change Plea
Okaloosa personnel records reveal that Duran was reprimanded in 2021 for failing to complete an assignment to verify the addresses of three registered sex offenders by visiting their homes, telling a colleague he didn’t care about them. While serving as a high school on-campus deputy, he was also disciplined for leaving the school before the final bell, despite Florida law requiring an armed guard on campus during school hours.
Records show that deputies had not previously been called to Fortson’s apartment, although they had responded to a nearby unit 10 times over the past eight months, including once for a domestic disturbance.
