'Acted with impulse, lack of proper training' Ben Crump addresses body cam footage of U.S. airman killed by deputy

Updates are still coming in regarding Roger Fortson, the airman who was killed in a deputy-involved shooting on Friday, May 3 in Fort Walton Beach.

Following the recent release of the body camera footage from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, national civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Fortson family, said the new evidence only supports their assertion that the deputy went into the wrong apartment.

OCSO claims the officer reacted in self-defense after confronting Fortson, who was armed with a gun when he answered his door. Crump and the Fortson’s family are demanding answers, saying deputies are trying to "stain his reputation."

Who is Roger Fortson?

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field when he was fatally shot at his home at Elan Apartments.

According to The Associated Press, he was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles as a member of the squadron’s AC-130J Ghostrider aircrew was to load the gunship’s 30mm and 105mm cannons during missions.

Frustration grows in Okaloosa County: Two questionable officer involved shootings in county

"Roger enlisted in the military after graduating from high school with honors and had no criminal record," Crump said in a press release. "By all accounts, he was a stellar member of the Air Force and loved by his community."

His mother, Chantimekki Fortson, called Roger Fortson the backbone of her family during a press conference, saying he had enlisted in the military after graduating high school to work toward his dream of buying her a home. She added he was "living his dream" and was well respected by his military superiors and colleagues.

What happened to Roger Fortson at his Fort Walton Beach apartment?

The OCSO first released its version of how the events at Fortson's apartment played out on the night he died in a press release posted to social media on Tuesday, May 7.

According to officials, authorities were called to Fortson's apartment about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3 in reference to an apparent disturbance.

Once a deputy arrived on the scene, the officials said he “reacted in self-defense after he encountered a 23-year-old man armed with a gun." The office has not shared details on what kind of disturbance deputies were responding to or who called them.

Fortson died at his off-base residence, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement.

'Entered the wrong apartment' Crump, Fortson family detail different encounter

Crump has claimed the encounter played out differently from what deputies are saying. In a May 9 press conference, the attorney said the airman was "shot inside his own apartment by a cop who had burst in while he conversed over Facetime with his girlfriend."

In a press release recounting the incident, it details Fortson heard a knock at the door and asked, "Who is it?" but failed to get a response. A few minutes later, Fortson heard an "aggressive" knock, but failed to see anyone once he looked out his peephole.

Fortson, concerned for his safety, retrieved his legally owned gun, the release says. As Fortson returned to the living room, the witness said, deputies "burst through his door." When deputies saw the gun, they fired at Fortson six times.

The witness, now revealed to be his girlfriend, said she saw Fortson on the ground, stating, "I can't breathe," after he was shot. The witness also said police were at the wrong apartment, and there was no disturbance, according to the release.

He and the family publicly claim the deputy who shot Fortson entered the wrong apartment in answering a domestic disturbance call, and that the agency has since tried to change the story and cover up what really happened.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden has denied any allegations that the deputy went to the wrong unit, or that he forced his way into the apartment.

OCSO releases body cam footage. Crump says this backs up his evidence

Amid growing pressure and attention, the Sheriff's Office released footage from the body camera the deputy was wearing at the time of his encounter with Fortson.

In the video, the deputy can be seen arriving at Fortson’s apartment complex, speaking to a woman who said she heard an argument taking place. The video then shows the deputy heading up to the apartment door, knocking and twice saying, “Sheriff’s Office. Open the door.”

Fortson opens the door while holding a handgun, which he legally owned, pointed toward the floor. The deputy shouted, “Step back” and then shot Fortson six times. NBC notes it was only afterward that he shouted, “Drop the gun, drop the gun.”

The video ends after four-and- a-half minutes after Fortson had been shot and the deputy called for medical assistance on his radio.

In a press conference on Thursday, Crump said the body cam footage backed up their claim that the deputy entered the wrong apartment while responding to a domestic disturbance call.

"When he opened his door and saw the sheriff’s deputy, Roger had his gun pointed to the ground with one hand and held his other hand up to signal he was not going to shoot," Crump said after viewing the video. "There is no question that the officer acted with impulse and a lack of proper training."

According to NBC, the attorney also played audio from a police radio in which a dispatcher says a “fourth party” gave information about the location of the disturbance.

“Uh, don’t have, uh, any further other than a male and female,” the dispatcher tells officers. “It’s all fourth-party information from the front desk at the leasing office.”

It should be noted the audio was condensed to remove communications that were not relevant to the incident.

Who is Ben Crump?

Ben Crump is an attorney who specializes in civil rights and catastrophic personal injury cases such as wrongful death lawsuits.

His practice has taken on cases such as:

• Trayvon Martin

• Breonna Taylor

• Michael Brown

• George Floyd

• Keenan Anderson

• People affected by the Flint water crisis,

• The estate of Henrietta Lacks,

• The 2019 Johnson & Johnson baby powder lawsuit alleging the company's talcum powder product led to ovarian cancer diagnoses

What happened to the deputy following Roger Fortson's shooting?

According to the sheriff's office, the deputy in question was placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard in such cases, pending the results of an investigation. The deputy has not been identified to the public.

When is Roger Fortson’s wake and funeral?

Crump and the Fortson family announced Wednesday that plans for the wake and funeral services would be held on Thursday and Friday. Pastor Jamal Bryant will deliver the eulogy at the funeral and Attorney Crump will deliver a call for justice.

USA Today reported previously Fortson’s body was reportedly transferred to Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday afternoon.

Before the wake, the family will hold a news conference where they will provide updates on how they and Fortson’s dog, Chloe, are doing.

How can you watch Roger Fortson’s funeral?

Fortson’s funeral will be live streamed on the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s YouTube page and website.

Contributing reporting: Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal and Collin Bestor, Northwest Florida Daily News

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Ben Crump says body cam video shows deputies went into wrong apartment