Florida authorities have released body camera footage of the tragic shooting death of 23-year-old Roger Fortson, a Black senior airman in the U.S. Air Force, by an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy, who did not announce himself as police and fired six shots without warning. Credit Getty

Authorities in Florida have released body camera footage capturing the tragic shooting death of 23-year-old Roger Fortson, a Black senior airman in the U.S. Air Force.

The incident occurred on May 3rd when an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a disturbance call at Fortson’s apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach.

The video shows the deputy being directed to Fortson’s unit (#1401) by a witness who reported hearing shouting and slapping noises from that apartment two weeks prior. However, the witness admitted she was unsure of the specific unit the previous disturbance came from.

Upon reaching Fortson’s door, the deputy did not initially announce himself as police. When Fortson eventually opened the door holding a gun pointed at the floor, the deputy rapidly fired six shots into his chest without warning.

As Fortson lay dying, he told the deputy, “It’s over there, I don’t have it” referring to the gun’s location. The footage shows Fortson never raised the weapon towards the officer.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating whether the reported disturbance actually occurred at Fortson’s residence and if the use of deadly force was justified.

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.

Mika Fortson, mother of Roger Fortson, a U.S. Navy airman, holds a photo of her son during a news conference with Attorney Ben Crump, Thursday, May 9, 2024, in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. Fortson was shot and killed by police in his apartment on May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Fortson’s family, condemned the shooting as an “execution” that violated Fortson’s civil rights. Crump stated “there’s no question that the officer acted with impulse and a lack of proper training when he shot and killed Roger within seconds of the door opening.”

The shooting has raised questions about the actions of the deputy and whether he followed appropriate protocols. Fortson’s family is seeking full transparency from authorities during the investigation.