At a Tuesday news conference in Florida, prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump<\/a>, who is representing Fortson\u2019s family in an ongoing federal lawsuit<\/a>, said it was his mother\u2019s 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,\u201d he added. \u201cWe 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to ever learn that.\u201d<\/p>\n Crump added that Fortson\u2019s mother wants to know: \u201cHow 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![\"FILE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770767467_158_Air_Force_Airman_Florida_Death_34210.jpg\")
FILE \u2013 Attorney Ben Crump, center left, speaks during a news conference with Chantemekki Fortson, mother of slain U.S. Air Force senior airman Roger Fortson, June 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo\/Brynn Anderson, File)<\/p>\n