Cop who fatally shot 23-year-old US airman in his home 'may have entered wrong apartment'
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Family handout/WJHG
A police officer who fatally shot a 23-year-old airman in his home 'may have entered the wrong apartment', according to an attorney for the victim's family.
Senior Airman Roger Fortson, from Florida, was fatally shot by a deputy sheriff last Friday (3 May).
The deputy - who police have not named - has since been placed on administrative leave following the shooting.
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Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden stated the shooting was being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office.
As per the BBC, Aden promised to provide "transparency and accountability', but warned such investigations 'take time'.
"But I want to assure you that we are not hiding, covering up, or taking any action that would result in a rushed judgment of Mr Fortson or our deputy," he added.
Body cam footage since released by police shows officers arriving at Fortson's apartment complex before being lead to the elevator by a witness who claimed she heard fighting coming from an apartment above.
The deputy then approached the front door alone, knocking and calling out twice he was a police officer.
Fortson was seen holding a gun in his right hand as he opened the door, with the deputy firing multiple shots as soon as the door opened.
The US airman was taken to hospital for his wounds but later died.
Ben Crump, an attorney representing Fortson's family, has since said: "The circumstances surrounding Roger's death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment.
"The narrative released by law enforcement, which falsely suggests that Roger posed a threat, is deeply troubling and inconsistent with the details provided by that witness: Roger was home alone, causing no disturbance, when his life was tragically cut short by law enforcement."
The sheriff has denied that officers had gone to the wrong address.
Speaking further at a press conference on Thursday, Crump said Fortson 'was the best America had to offer'.
"He was a patriot. He was a US airman, special ops. He was fighting for our way of life. He was fighting for everybody," he said.
Crump then walked through the events of that tragic May day, which led to the victim's mom breaking down crying.
Chantimekki Fortson said: "My baby was my everything."
UNILAD has reached out to The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office for further updates.