US police release video of black airman shot dead in apartment

Florida police have released body camera footage of an officer who fatally shot a black airman in his home last week — and disputed claims from the victim's family that police were in the wrong apartment.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden showed the video during a news conference Thursday, shortly after the 23-year-old airman's family attorney called for its public release, saying the victim's girlfriend was on a video call with him and that he believes the police officer was in the wrong apartment.

The victim was identified by his family as Roger Fortson, a senior airman, according to attorney Ben Crump, who held a news conference Thursday. Crump and Fortson's mother described him as a patriot who respected authority and hoped to buy a house for his mother and younger siblings.

The sheriff, who met with Fortson's family shortly before his news conference, said he has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to handle the criminal investigation as required. While that investigation is ongoing, he stated that “no determination has been made as to whether or not the officer’s actions were justified.” The officer was placed on administrative leave.

The State's Attorney's Office in Okaloosa County will await the completion of the investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement before deciding whether or not to pursue charges in the case, the office told CNN . There is no expected timeline for completing the investigation, a spokesperson said.

“What we know at this point is that the officer announced himself, not once, but twice,” Aden said. “Mr. Fortson's comments indicate that he recognized it was the police and he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. The officer knocked on the correct door, he did not cover the peephole or otherwise obstruct his view in any way.”

But Fortson's family reiterated that they believe authorities went to the wrong door.

“We remain firm in the position that the police had the wrong apartment, as Roger was on the phone with his girlfriend for a substantial period of time prior to the shooting, and no one else was in the apartment,” Fortson's family said in a statement after the dissemination of images.

What the images show

Last Friday (3), officers went to an apartment after receiving a call reporting “a disturbance in progress,” Aden said in a previous statement.

“Upon hearing the sounds of a disturbance, (an officer) responded in self-defense when he encountered a 23-year-old man carrying a gun and after the officer identified himself as law enforcement,” the sheriff said.

“The officer shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries,” the sheriff said. The officer involved in the shooting has not been identified by officials.

The dashcam footage, dated May 3, begins at 4:28 p.m. local time, with a police officer arriving at what appears to be an apartment complex.

A woman in the complex is heard telling the officer that there had been a disturbance in apartment 1401 and that it was “getting out of control.”

The same woman tells the officer that she previously passed by the apartment and heard screams and “a slap,” but added that she was not sure where the noise came from.

He then takes the elevator to the fourth floor and knocks on a door three times. The apartment number “1401” is visible in the footage. He announces himself twice, saying, “Sheriff’s Department, open the door.” You can't hear anything in the images from inside the apartment.

Within seconds of opening the apartment door, the officer says “back off” and is then seen firing his gun. Fortson is seen standing in the doorway with his hands down and what appears to be a firearm lowered in his right hand. He immediately falls to the ground as the officer fires. At least five shots are heard.

While Fortson is on the ground, the officer yells “drop the gun” twice. Fortson is heard saying, “It’s there,” and then, “I don’t have it.”

The officer continues to point his gun at Fortson and tells him not to move, while Fortson remains on the ground. The officer continues to point his gun at Fortson while calling 911.

Officers reported to dispatch that Fortson had been shot six times, with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and an exit wound, according to police dispatch calls obtained by CNN affiliate WEAR.

After the video was released, Fortson's family said that “it is very concerning that the officer did not give verbal commands and fired multiple times within a split second of opening the door, killing Roger.”

“How come the officer didn’t tell Roger to drop the gun before shooting? Has he been trained to give verbal warnings? Did he attempt to initiate life-saving measures? Has he been trained to deal with law-abiding citizens who are registered gun owners?” their statement added.

Footage of the video call during the shooting was released

Later Thursday, Crump also released nearly four minutes of the video call he says Fortson was on with his girlfriend when he was shot.

The video shows what appears to be the ceiling of an apartment as a man – presumably Fortson – can be heard moaning and saying, “I can’t breathe.” Another man – presumably the police officer – tells him, “Don’t move. Stop moving.”

The officer can then be heard saying, “Hang in there, man, we have an ambulance coming for you. Do not move.”

Presumably speaking to others, the officer then says, “we’re fine. He had a gun since he opened the door.” The officer is heard shouting, but much of it is inaudible.

Another person can be heard detailing Fortson's injuries saying, “we have three bullet wounds, one way out,” before another voice says, “yes, he was shot.”

Eventually, someone is heard saying that Fortson has six gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police dispatch audio obtained by CNN on Friday (10) adds perspective to the events surrounding the shooting. In the audio, a deputy can be heard saying he is responding to a “physical disturbance, in progress” at 319 Racetrack, Unit 1401. It is the same address where Fortson was shot, according to the sheriff's department.

“There is nothing but a man and a woman. It’s all third-party information through the front desk at the leasing office,” the officer responding.

About four minutes later, the officer is heard saying “shots fired, suspect down.” He calls for emergency services and then says, “multiple gunshots to the chest, black man.”

A voice is then heard calling for medical units before saying: “they are asking you to hurry.”

Lawyer says victim was playing video games

At their Thursday news conference, Crump and Fortson's mother described him as a responsible young man and a patriot who had long dreamed of serving in the United States Air Force.

“To the sheriff's department who took my gift… I need you to tell the truth about my son. I need you to clean up his reputation,” said Fortson’s mother.

“I know my son didn’t do anything to you. If he scared you, or if you weren't trained properly, I apologize,” she said. “But please clean up my baby’s reputation.”

Fortson entered active duty in November 2019 and was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron, according to an Air Force statement, which noted that the shooting occurred at the residence outside the air force base.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is “closely monitoring” reports of the shooting, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday.

Crump said the 23-year-old had been home for about 30 minutes and playing video games before the shooting.

Fortson heard two knocks on the door and, when he saw no one through the peephole, grabbed his gun, Crump said, citing Fortson's girlfriend. Crump said Fortson's gun was legally registered.

The girlfriend said police responded to the wrong apartment, and there was no disturbance at the time, Crump said, citing Fortson's girlfriend.

“(Fortson) was on the phone with his girlfriend in the apartment alone with his dog,” Crump told Jake Tapper of CNN , on Thursday night. “They went to the wrong apartment.”

Shooting brings to mind past cases

While details surrounding the shooting remain unclear, the incident echoes other shootings in recent years in which a Black man or woman was killed by police officers in their home.

In 2019, a former Dallas police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after fatally shooting Botham Jean in his apartment the previous year. The police officer – off duty but still in uniform – lived on the floor below Jean and said she approached what she believed to be her own apartment when she saw Jean inside.

Atatiana Jefferson was killed the same year when a Fort Worth police officer, responding to what police believed to be a robbery, shot her through her bedroom window.

The former Fort Worth officer was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison in 2022.