Two weeks after he was shot and killed by an Okaloosa County deputy, Senior Airman Roger Fortson was laid to rest Friday morning in Atlanta. The service was streamed to the public and inside the chapel at Hurlburt Field, where Fortson had been stationed.
On Friday evening, around 500 people gathered at Chester Pruitt Park in Fort Walton Beach to honor Fortson. Sabu Williams, president of the Okaloosa County chapter of the NAACP, told the crowd the gathering was not a protest or a rally and asked speakers not to be “inflammatory.”
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“I know there’s a lot of grieving out there and a lot of anger,” he said. “But we have got to be able to challenge those things into something positive. First and foremost, we ensure justice for this young man whose life was taken from us far too early.”
Pastors and other local leaders spoke sharing scriptures and messages of hope. However, it was evident many in the community were still hurting and angry.
“I heard the song ‘What’s going on.’ What is going on?’” said one of the speakers, Lykeisha Anderson. “I heard about prayer. I heard about putting it in God’s hands I heard all those great things but I know that faith without works is dead.”
“We can pray but if we ain’t putting in no work, ain’t nothing going to change for Senior Airman Roger Fortson. Starting today I encourage you all to make being a part of this community your No. 1 priority.”
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For Anderson, that means to vote.
“If we’re going to have people governing us,” she said. “They shouldn’t be afraid if they see someone with brown skin answer the door.”
Billy and DeAndrea Clark, who were identified as friends of the Fortson family, drove straight from the funeral in Atlanta to be at the vigil. They wanted to be there as representatives of the family. Billy, a retired airman and civil rights attorney from Texas, whose son recently died, echoed Anderson’s sentiments.
“You can’t operate on the mindset I’m going to shoot first and then investigate,” he said. “I’m not blaming all officers, but there are officers that shouldn’t be wearing a badge … that should not have a gun, because if you’re going to look at people and judge them by their skin … we have a fundamental problem.”
Like Anderson, he encouraged those at the vigil to take action at the ballot box.
“Vote,” he urged the crowd.
A community stricken
On Friday, May 3, an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy, who has not been identified, responded to a disturbance call at an apartment complex on Racetrack Road in Fort Walton Beach. The deputy said he shot Fortson, who is Black, in self-defense.
Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Fortson family, claims the deputy shouldn’t have been at Fortson’s apartment in the first place. Crump argues he was at the wrong door.
“If we can’t be safe in the sanctity of our home where can we be safe?” he asked during the morning’s service.
At a press conference last week, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said the department was saddened about the incident. The sheriff’s office released body cam footage from the shooting but took no questions. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office are now investigating.
In the footage, a deputy is seen knocking on the door and announcing himself as law enforcement. Fortson answers holding a gun pointed toward the ground. The deputy fires multiple times in less than two seconds. He yells at Fortson to drop the gun, and he replies “I don’t have it,” while on the ground. Fortson later died in the hospital from his wounds.
RELATED: Who gets to claim self-defense in shootings? Airman’s death sparks debate over race and gun rights
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, whose district includes Okaloosa County, also weighed in on the incident on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying Fortson “should still be alive today.”
“In Northwest Florida, we love our military and we love our police,” he wrote. “This has been a horrible tragedy and we must proceed in the interest of the truth.”
Seeking justice
Earlier this week, Sheriff Aden went to Hurlburt Field and met with Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command, to talk about moving forward after Fortson’s death. A town hall for Air Commandos will be announced in the coming days. Local pastors and Williams, of the Okaloosa NAACP, were also there. Williams said he wants to see change from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
“Obviously, law enforcement doesn’t feel the pain of the community to the extent that they should,” he said. “Maybe it’s natural for them to be protective of one another and even find reasons to justify (what happened) but the community doesn’t see the justification.”
Williams also speculated that had Fortson been a civilian, there may not have been a prolonged investigation.
“Had this not been an active duty airman we probably wouldn’t have seen all of this,” Williams said referencing the response Fortson’s death has prompted.
To illustrate the point, Williams pointed out two other local incidents, one involving a man who died hours after being tased by Crestview police and last year’s infamous incident when an Okaloosa deputy fired shots in the direction of a handcuffed suspect after mistaking the sound of an acorn falling on his patrol car for gunfire. Williams said he wants to see better training for local law enforcement.
Fortson’s mother, Chantimekki, told NPR she wants justice for her son’s death in the form of the truth and an apology.
“I need them to know that they took my gift," she told NPR. “We don't even know how to deal with this type of pain. I need them to just own up to the truth and get justice for my gift."
‘A gift’
Fortson came to Hurlburt Field in March 2020 after entering active duty Nov. 19, 2019. He was assigned to the 73rd Special Operations Squadron and 4th SOS as a special missions aviator. His decorations include an Air Force Achievement Medal and Air Medal with ‘C’ Device, which he earned after his deployment to Southwest Asia in mid-2023.
Speaking at his service Friday morning, Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, called Fortson a “great airman and a great person.”
“He chose a life of selflessness that we admire,” said Dierig. “He was a warrior with a kind heart.”
Fellow airmen and airwomen were present at Friday’s service. Across the world, the Air Force community has shared tributes, as well as organizing a GoFundMe to provide financial assistance to the Fortson family.
Those gathered at Chester Pruitt Park shared a moment of silence and a prayer holding candles in front of a poster of Fortson. After the vigil, people took turns signing the back of it offering condolences. The poster will be sent to Fortson’s mother.
Even after the prayers and songs, there is still a sense of reeling.
“I am stunned by it,” said Janice Lowery, a longtime Okaloosa County resident. “I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. I delivered Doordash to his apartment building…I’m just really heartbroken about what happened to this gentleman.”
Lowery, who is also Black, said she thinks of her nephews who are serving in the military, as well.
The evening’s vigil offered hope, but she said the healing isn’t done.
“It’s going to take a minute,” he said.
