After another delayed court date, the family of Senior Airman Roger Fortson is asking the local community to stand with them in demanding justice.
A pretrial hearing initially scheduled for February has been pushed to March 9 after Judge Lacey Powell Clark recused herself from the case last month. Judge William F. Stone will now preside over the case.
It’s been nearly two years since Fortson was shot and killed by former Okaloosa County deputy, Eddie Duran.
He was 23 years old.
Fortson’s mother, Chantemekki, says waiting for a trial is “heartbreaking.”
“It’s not even frustrating,” she said. “It hurts. It hurts so bad.”
May 3, 2024
Roger Fortson was shot within seconds of opening his apartment door on May 3, 2024, when Duran was responding to a reported domestic disturbance at Fortson’s residence, which turned out to be false. In body cam footage, Fortson appears to be holding a gun pointed toward the ground. Duran immediately fired multiple shots.
Duran was charged with first-degree manslaughter and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted. He was terminated from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in August 2024 after an internal affairs investigation found his “use of force was not objectively reasonable.”
Duran was freed on bond, but in May last year Judge Clark denied a travel request. Defense attorneys said it was so Duran could visit his son in college and work temporarily with his family in Oklahoma. Chantemekki, also known as Meka, traveled from Atlanta to be in court for the bond hearing and faced Duran for the first time.
‘It’s time for us to protect him’
Though she does not have to be in court for the criminal case, she plans to be at all court proceedings. She was in Fort Walton Beach last week for what she thought was another pretrial hearing.
When she was informed the date was moved, Meka lead about a dozen people for a walk around the courthouse. Some shouted "justice for Roger Fortson."
It’s important to show up and be a voice for Roger, she said.
“I’m never going to give up on my child,” she said. “He (Roger) didn’t do nothing but try to protect his country. So now, it’s time for us to protect him.”
State Attorney Mark Alderman, who is representing the State of Florida in the criminal case against Duran, said Meka should’ve been given notice of the changing court dates. He also said the recusal from Judge Clark was “unusual.”
As for the wait to see the case go to trial, Alderman said he prefers to process cases “correctly versus quickly.”
An official trial date may be set at the next court date in March, he added.
Duran is being represented by Attorney Michael Flowers, who served 12 years as a circuit judge for Okaloosa County before unexpectedly resigning in the middle of his final term in 2022.
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing the Fortson family in a separate lawsuit that has not yet gone to court. He'll be joining the Fortson family for a news conference Tuesday morning in Fort Walton Beach.
‘This is your community’
At home in Atlanta, Meka has her young daughter, Harmoni, to care for. She hopes when she cannot be in Okaloosa County, others will keep saying her son’s name.
While she was in Fort Walton Beach last week, she met with community members who pledged to show support for her and her son. Some were members of the Okaloosa NAACP, some were veterans — all were concerned citizens.
Meka said it's up to locals to put more pressure on their leaders for accountability. She also expressed she didn’t feel enough support from the same people who claimed outrage two years ago.
“This is your community,” Meka said to the room.
The message was heard.
“We are going to be your voice,” said Ruby Dunson, who is a chair of civic engagement for Okaloosa NAACP.
Walton County resident Samantha Hope-Herring said Roger Fortson’s death needs to be spoken about more in the community. She suggested a campaign of sorts to call for justice.
“This is a member of our military — an organization we support and uplift,” said Hope-Herring, who is a Walton County Democratic Executive Committee Chair and Democratic National Committee (DNC) member. “Justice for (Roger) is very important because he was doing absolutely nothing wrong. Every person who supports the military should outraged by this and should be standing up for this young airman who was murdered in his home by law enforcement.”
For some in the room, the matter is personal.
Anthony Johnson is an Air Force veteran and a father of three young, Black men. He said he sees his sons in Fortson.
“As a veteran, as a citizen, and as a child advocate it’s important that I support the family as much as possible,” he said. “If this were to happen to my son, I would hope someone would feel the same way."
“Whether it be black or white, brown or yellow, it doesn’t matter; unjust shooting involving law enforcement is just that — everyone deserves justice,” he added.
