FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — The mother of a U.S. Air Force airman shot and killed by a Florida sheriff’s deputy nearly two years ago says she doesn’t want people to forget about her son and is still seeking accountability so it doesn’t happen to someone else.<\/p>\n
Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was shot to death<\/a> by a deputy responding to a disturbance call at Fortson’s apartment in Fort Walton Beach, where he lived while based at nearby Hurlburt Field. The May 2024 encounter was captured on body camera video<\/a>.<\/p>\n At a Tuesday news conference in Florida, prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump<\/a>, who is representing Fortson’s family in an ongoing federal lawsuit<\/a>, said it was his mother’s decision to hold the media briefing.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is deeply hurt and concerned that time has allowed her son\u2019s name and his life to fade from public consciousness,\u201d Crump said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not here to litigate facts or comment on ongoing legal proceedings,” he added. “We are here because silence, delay and distance have a human cost for families who are left to grieve while waiting for answers.\u201d<\/p>\n Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden fired Deputy Eddie Duran, 38, who fatally shot Fortson after being directed to Fortson’s apartment while responding to a domestic violence call. Duran was charged with manslaughter with a firearm<\/a>, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison. It’s a rarely seen criminal case<\/a> filed against a Florida law officer.<\/p>\n Two Florida attorneys representing Duran did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.<\/p>\n Fortson\u2019s mother, Chantimekki Fortson, said she still has many unanswered questions about the case.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to know what happened to my baby,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to try to learn how to live life without Roger,\u201d she added. “I don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to ever learn that.\u201d<\/p>\n Crump added that Fortson’s mother wants to know: “How could it have been prevented and how can we make sure that it doesn\u2019t happen to anyone else\u2019s family?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n