The family’s lawyer had claimed that the police officer forced the door and did not appear before shooting. But the footage from the police officer’s body camera shows a completely different story.
His name was Roger Fortson and he was only 23 years old. On May 3, this young American Air Force soldier was shot dead in his apartment by a police officer called about an argument. During a press conference Thursday, the family’s lawyer said the agent had the wrong apartment and failed to show up during his check.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden eventually presented the video taken by the officer’s body camera at the time of the incident. Here is what we see there.
It is May 3rd around 4:30 p.m. The police officer gets out of his car and goes towards the man who apparently made the call. He then crosses paths with a woman and questions her about the arguments she witnessed. The police officer then asks him to show him where the events took place. That’s when she gave him the number of apartment 1401.
The policeman showed up twice
The police officer then gets into an elevator and appears in front of said apartment. He listens at the door for a few seconds. No noise emanates from the accommodation. The policeman then knocks the first time, without introducing himself. He knocks a second time and says: “Sheriff’s office!” Open the door!”, he shouts. He knocks a third time, and announces himself again: “Sheriff’s office!” Open the door!” .
We then hear movement on the other side of the door, then Roger Forston opens it. He is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. The young man has a weapon in his hand, the barrel visibly pointed towards the ground. Everything then happens very quickly:
– “Step back”, says the policeman. Then he takes out his gun and shoots the young man six times.
– “Drop your gun, drop your gun,” the policeman shouts.
– “It is over there”Fortson said.
– “Drop your weapon,” the policeman retorts again.
– “I do not have it”then responds Fortson, lying on the ground, injured.
The deputy calls the paramedics on his radio.
Roger Forston dies from his injuries. The officer was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Two opposing versions
Hours earlier, Ben Crump, the family’s lawyer heavily involved in cases of police violence against black people, claimed that the agency had raided the wrong apartment and that he had not told Roger to drop his gun before shooting “several times in a fraction of a second after opening the door”.
“We remain adamant that police had the wrong apartment because Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for some time before the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment.”, it is written in the press release. Crump also told reporters earlier that Fortson was talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime and that he grabbed his gun because he heard someone outside his apartment. He said the deputy forced the door open, citing the girlfriend’s account.
“The girlfriend admits that although she initially thought the door had been forced open by the police, she maintains her emotional memories of what happened”, Crump said in a later statement. Sheriff Aden said he met with the family before showing the video to reporters. “This result is one we never hope to encounter”Aden said. “These investigations take time, but I want to assure you that we are not hiding or trying to cover up anything,” he added.
