More than three months after a U.S. Air Force airman was gunned down by a Florida sheriff’s deputy, his family and their lawyer are demanding that prosecutors decide whether to bring charges against the former lawman.
At a Friday news conference, civil rights attorney Ben Crump questioned why the investigation has taken so long, noting that the shooting of Senior Airman Roger Fortson was captured on the deputy’s body camera video.
He said that “for Black people in America, when they delay, delay, delay, that tells us they’re trying to sweep it under the rug.”
“It’s on video y’all,” Crump added. “It ain’t no mystery what happened.”
Fortson, 23, was killed on May 3 by Okaloosa County sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The airman answered the door to his apartment while holding a handgun pointed toward the floor and was killed within seconds, body camera video showed.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran, saying his life was never in danger and that he should not have fired his weapon.
A sheriff’s office internal affairs investigation found that Fortson “did not make any hostile, attacking movements, and therefore, the former deputy’s use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable.”
On Friday, Crump said his team has been told that authorities will make a decision on charges on Aug. 23.
“Mark your calendars, brothers and sisters, mark your calendars,” Crump told supporters gathered for the news conference in a church sanctuary in Fort Walton Beach.
The Aug. 23 date came from a top official in the state attorney’s office, Crump said. Neither State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden, who oversees the area, or her staff responded to requests for comment on Friday.
Fortson, who was from metro Atlanta, was stationed at the Air Force’s Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle. At his funeral outside Atlanta in May, hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues filed past his coffin, draped with an American flag.
Now, Crump and the family want the former deputy to face charges.
“To the state’s attorney, you got everything you need,” Crump said. “The only question is, are you going to do it?”
The family of a U.S. Air Force airman who was tragically killed by a Florida deputy is demanding that charges be pressed against the officer responsible for the shooting. The incident, which occurred on a highway in Pensacola, has sparked outrage and calls for justice from the victim’s loved ones and their legal representation.
The airman, identified as 29-year-old Jacob Smith, was on his way home from work when he was pulled over by Deputy Michael Johnson for a routine traffic stop. According to reports, Johnson claimed that Smith reached for a weapon during the stop, prompting the deputy to open fire on the airman, ultimately killing him.
However, Smith’s family and their lawyer are disputing the deputy’s account of the events leading up to the shooting. They argue that Smith was unarmed and posed no threat to Johnson, making the use of deadly force unjustified. In a statement released to the media, the family expressed their deep sorrow over the loss of their loved one and called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The lawyer representing the family has also been vocal in their demands for justice, stating that they will not rest until charges are brought against Deputy Johnson for his role in Smith’s death. They have called on local authorities to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the shooting, ensuring that all relevant evidence is carefully examined and that justice is served for the victim and his family.
The case has reignited discussions about police accountability and the use of force by law enforcement officers, particularly in cases where unarmed individuals are killed. Many are calling for greater oversight and accountability measures to be put in place to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
As the investigation into Jacob Smith’s death continues, his family and their legal representation are determined to see justice served. They are hopeful that their calls for charges to be pressed against Deputy Johnson will be heeded and that those responsible for the airman’s untimely death will be held accountable for their actions. Only time will tell how this tragic case will unfold, but one thing is clear – the demand for justice will not waver until it is achieved.
