Civil rights case to proceed after former deputy acquitted of killing U.S. Air Force serviceman

A high-profile attorney vowed to move ahead with a federal civil rights lawsuit after a former Florida sheriff’s deputy, Eddie Duran, was acquitted of manslaughter against U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson on Thursday. In May 2025, the Fortson family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Duran, Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden, and others. That civil case, separate from the criminal trial, alleged excessive force, municipal liability, wrongful death, negligence, and gross negligence.

Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Fortson’s family had lived with that loss every day for more than two years, and described the verdict as incredibly hard for them. Crump added that he would stand with them as they pursued their civil rights case in federal court and sought accountability for the tragic loss of Fortson’s life.

What was the jury’s verdict in the criminal case? A jury found Eddie Duran, a former Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy, not guilty on Thursday after facing one count of manslaughter with a firearm in Fortson’s 2024 shooting death.

Fortson, 23, was in his Florida home on May 3, 2024, when Duran responded to the apartment for a call reporting a domestic disturbance, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Duran shot and killed Fortson after he answered the door of his apartment while holding a legally owned handgun. The shooting sparked national attention, and the deputy was later fired and charged with manslaughter. Duran, who pleaded not guilty, testified during his trial on Wednesday, arguing that he fatally shot Fortson in self-defense.

Mark Alderman, the assistant state attorney who prosecuted the case, argued that Fortson had the gun pointed at the ground and was no threat. Duran’s lawyer however, argued that Fortson was an imminent threat and Duran handled the situation according to his training, which did not require the gun to be pointed directly at him to justify self-defense.

Dig deeper: For more details about the case read Stephen Kloosterman’s previous story.