Bodycam video showing fatal shooting of US Airman released

The body camera footage from a deputy sheriff who fatally shot a US Air Force member at his home has been publically released by the Florida police.

23-year-old Senior Airman Roger Fortson was taken to a hospital where he died, according to the officials.

A lawyer for the victim's family, citing a witness, alleged the police burst into the wrong home.

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The claim of self-defence is disputed by police, who say the deputy reacted to protect themselves from an armed Fortson.

Fortson was shot on May 3 at his home, located 5 miles from the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he is based.

The deputy who shot him has since been placed on administrative leave. However, the department has not disclosed the name of the deputy.

The shooting is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney's Office, said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden.

Aden has promised to provide transparency and accountability but added, “These investigations take time. But I assure you that we are not hiding, covering up, or taking any action that would result in a rushed judgment of Fortson or our deputy."

What the video shows

The sheriff showed the video taken from thebody camera worn by the deputy who fired the fatal shots.

Body camera footage released by police shows officers arriving at Fortson's apartment complex. A witness, who reported hearing a fight, leads them to an elevator.

The footage then shows a single deputy approaching the apartment door, knocking, and announcing twice that he is with the sheriff's office.

Fortson was seen holding a gun as he opened the door. The deputy then fired multiple shots as soon as the door opened, telling him afterwards to drop the weapon.

"It's over there. I don't have it," Fortson said as he lay on the floor.

What the Fortson family says

A lawyer for the Fortson family, Ben Crump, said in a news conference, "He was a patriot. He was a US airman, special ops. He was fighting for our way of life. He was fighting for everybody."

The lawyer further informedthat at the time of the shooting, Fortson was on a video call with a friend, who described the scene.

According to the friend, the airman heard a knock at his door and called out, but no answer came. A second, much more forceful knock followed, yet the peephole revealed nothing.

It is at this point that Fortson is said to have grown concerned and retrieved his gun, which the lawyer said was legally owned.

As Fortson returned to his living room, the witness said police burst through the door, saw that the resident was armed and shot him six times.

The lawyer said the witness believed the officers were in the wrong apartment.

The sheriff on Thursday denied that officers had gone to the wrong address.

(With inputs from agencies)