FL cops burst into wrong apartment killing a US airmen for defending his home

[Saltwater60]

Sad. Kid seemed like he was going into special forces and obviously did nothing wrong since the cops came into the wrong apartment.

Florida deputies who fatally shot US airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that the airman was on a Facetime call at the time of the encounter.

www.wivb.com

 

[RedBreast21]

"The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The office did not offer details on what kind of disturbance deputies were responding to or who called them."

"“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,”

These two quotes from the article are alarming. Lets see how this plays out but departments in the right generally release everything to support the actions of their officers. In this case, that isn't happening.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I really really hate these stories.

Who was the member here who always argued with someone that this never happens in a no knock raid and always defended the police? This is what would happen to most of us if the police "accidentally, oops" choose your house instead of the actual house they were looking for. People need to be fired and/or go to prison themselves and the department needs to be sued aggressively.

Totally outrageous

 

[JaguarJaguarGolf]

It wouldn't have happened on some rich guys estate

 

[Saltwater60]

I really really hate these stories.

Who was the member here who always argued with someone that this never happens in a no knock raid and always defended the police? This is what would happen to most of us if the police "accidentally, oops" choose your house instead of the actual house they were looking for. People need to be fired and/or go to prison themselves and the department needs to be sued aggressively.

Totally outrageous

As long as the information provided to the responding officer doesn’t match this young man’s house I agree with you 100%. If the caller gave wrong information there needs to be more information provided for me to make a call. Disturbance can be anything and if it’s a dog barking call or loud music call guns shouldn’t have been involved unless there’s a lot more to the story.
People enter the wrong houses a fair amount. I remember years ago in Amherst, NY a teacher went out and got drunk and went home to the wrong house. Homeowner had a gun and yelled out multiple times leave, leave, leave. Guy was downstairs in the kitchen making a racket apparently making a sandwich or whatever. Homeowner went down and shot him dead. Took a while to clear the homeowner too.
A few years back down the street from me on the 4th of July a guy got dropped off at the wrong house by an UBER/Lyft driver. Guy was drunk and my street is has the same name as a street in a major city nearby except that one has N, S, E, or W in front of it. Guy just burst into the wrong house saying I’m here for the party and luckily the homeowner left his gun in his truck glove box or guy probably would be dead. It was like 1:00am so yeah I’d have shot someone for bursting into my house at that time saying I’m here for the party. What’s party mean?

 

[S&W Fan]

Hmm, there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s been a Veeery long time since I’ve had the cops called on me but I certainly don’t recollect cops showing up and busting the door down for a disturbing the peace call. ie : dog barking, loud music , etc.

 

[VietnamEraVet]

Hmm, there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s been a Veeery long time since I’ve had the cops called on me but I certainly don’t recollect cops showing up and busting the door down for a disturbing the peace call. ie : dog barking, loud music , etc.

Sounds like he was "SWAT'ed", not just some noise or disturbance call. Likely why they busted down his door.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Hmm, there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s been a Veeery long time since I’ve had the cops called on me but I certainly don’t recollect cops showing up and busting the door down for a disturbing the peace call. ie : dog barking, loud music , etc.

Some departments have shitty policies and practices with a superiority complex. Some departments are good, some are not. What you experience may not be what many others do. I changed a lot of my thoughts with the Patriot act. I used to think, well I'm not a terrorist I have nothing to hide. I realized how faulty that logic was. Not that it's the same thing but I look at situations differently now than I used to.

Do you live in a crowded area like an apartment complex too? The risk of misidentifying a residence or origination of sound is probably pretty high so a no knock just kick the door in is a bad move. Why not just announce "I'm the police, I would like to talk to you" and stand in the door so you can be clearly seen through the peephole and identified. How would the cops have handled this in a white collar gated community? They would have knocked politely and made themselves visible. They wouldn't kick in a door in for some sort of noise complaint.

But you're right, this story makes no sense. So it's entirely fair to say I'm withholding judgement until more details are released.

 

[Beerman]

I’d love to see the USAF sue the Okey-dokey Bumblefuck PD for several million to recoup the costs of a lost asset in that airman.

Remember, kids- the police are not your friends. They have no duty to protect you. Know your rights.

 

[Saltwater60]

Hmm, there is more to this story than meets the eye. It’s been a Veeery long time since I’ve had the cops called on me but I certainly don’t recollect cops showing up and busting the door down for a disturbing the peace call. ie : dog barking, loud music , etc.

One word. Acorn.

 

[Saltwater60]

Sounds like he was "SWAT'ed", not just some noise or disturbance call. Likely why they busted down his door.

They say it was the wrong location though.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

One word. Acorn.

I'm hit!

(By imaginary bullets as I wildly mag dump into a neighborhood)

 

[VietnamEraVet]

They say it was the wrong location though.

I'm not buying it. And it doesn't fucking matter. So, they get a call for disturbance at 12 Smith Street; they show up; and no apparent noises, evidence of break-in, or otherwise. So, file a report, and leave.

But no...., let's break down the door! Hey look, - there's a guy inside, - WITH A GUN! Let's fucking shoot his ass and kill him!

Somebody needs to go to jail.

Oh, and BTW Salt, re that case of the drunk teacher a few years back: I recall that the homeowner stayed upstairs with his gun, and kept telling the intruder that he had entered the wrong house, that he was armed, and to get out. It was reported that he shot him when he started coming up the stairs.

 

[C3D]

We need a lot more info here. Much too little info and the fact the woman witness said deceased said "I can't breathe" is very suspicious.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

We need a lot more info here. Much too little info and the fact the woman witness said deceased said "I can't breathe" is very suspicious.

I'll see if I can post it the body camera has been released. The woman being referred to was on a FaceTime call with the guy as he was shot. It actually looks like he was physically the only person present in the apartment. She overheard the police saying "we shot him up" and she heard him gasping for air saying "I cant breathe"

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Here is the police press conference which has the video up until the shooting then stops. Another video i saw included the aftermath as well.

Clearly I can see how the sheriff constantly banging on the door going side to side and not being visible in the peephole would look suspicious. Especially if the Karen who wanted to get involved and be hero sent the deputy to the wrong apartment.

The video is good because it shows the context of how the call begins and why the cop ends up at that apartment.

Okaloosa County, Florida Sheriff speaks on deadly Air Force Airman shooting

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden will hold a 2 p.m. press conference on the officer-involved shooting that killed 23-year-old Air Force Airman Roger Fortson...

www.youtube.com

 

[Depick]

So sad this young man lost his life. All that potential is gone. I hope justice is served.

 

[Truebeliever]

"The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week that a deputy responding to a call of a disturbance in progress at the apartment complex reacted in self-defense after encountering an armed man. The office did not offer details on what kind of disturbance deputies were responding to or who called them."

"“The circumstances surrounding Roger’s death raise serious questions that demand immediate answers from authorities, especially considering the alarming witness statement that the police entered the wrong apartment,”

These two quotes from the article are alarming. Lets see how this plays out but departments in the right generally release everything to support the actions of their officers. In this case, that isn't happening.

We will see. Remember the person giving info for the article is Ben Crump. He lies like a rug.
The video shows he went to the correct address.
You can hear someone ( not the deputy) say “ it’s the police “as if a person on the phone ie- he knew it was the police when he opened the door if that voice is his.

 

[GOPerfect]

From the article.... He asked who was there but didn’t get a response. A few minutes later, Fortson heard a louder knock but didn’t see anyone when he looked through the peephole.

The Deputy announced three different times that he was with the Sheriffs department. As the door was opened, the Deputy was standing directly in front of the door.

From the article, the Deputy burst into the room. He did not, the shooting took place in the hallway from about 8 feet from the doorway.


As for the incorrect address.... There was no right or wrong address, kind of.

A call was made to the Police, the Police arrived and spoke with a few witnesses in regards to the call. One of the witnesses, a woman tells the Deputy the apartment number of where she thought the "fight" was coming from. He went to that address.


In this case, I hope the Deputy faces criminal charges. The Airman had a gun in his hand, that is a fact. The gun was in a stretched out arm, pointing to the ground. No immediate threat. The Deputy gave no instructions to drop the firearm, he saw the gun and shot this man to death. From all of the videos I have seen, this should go down as a bad shooting. The Deputy should be charged.

We have this thing in the United States that provides for the arming of citizens. This thing is the 2A. it does not end just because the Police decide to knock on a persons door.

Answering the door to your home with a firearm is not and should not be a death sentence. This man should not be on any Police department.

 

[GOPerfect]

Sounds like he was "SWAT'ed", not just some noise or disturbance call. Likely why they busted down his door.

The door was opened by the homeowner, it was not kicked in.

 

[GOPerfect]

 

[Acer-m14]

little late on yelling drop the gun ,...

 

[spat]

As long as the information provided to the responding officer doesn’t match this young man’s house I agree with you 100%. If the caller gave wrong information there needs to be more information provided for me to make a call. Disturbance can be anything and if it’s a dog barking call or loud music call guns shouldn’t have been involved unless there’s a lot more to the story.
People enter the wrong houses a fair amount. I remember years ago in Amherst, NY a teacher went out and got drunk and went home to the wrong house. Homeowner had a gun and yelled out multiple times leave, leave, leave. Guy was downstairs in the kitchen making a racket apparently making a sandwich or whatever. Homeowner went down and shot him dead. Took a while to clear the homeowner too.
A few years back down the street from me on the 4th of July a guy got dropped off at the wrong house by an UBER/Lyft driver. Guy was drunk and my street is has the same name as a street in a major city nearby except that one has N, S, E, or W in front of it. Guy just burst into the wrong house saying I’m here for the party and luckily the homeowner left his gun in his truck glove box or guy probably would be dead. It was like 1:00am so yeah I’d have shot someone for bursting into my house at that time saying I’m here for the party. What’s party mean?

Case in Texas a while back where the cops raided the wrong place and a bunch of them ended up dead.

The homeowner either wasn't charged, or was acquitted IIRC.

 

[Modean]

Maximum consequences required for this officer. "Oops, wrong apartment" cannot be an excuse for killing an innocent civilian. Ever.

 

[Modean]

little late on yelling drop the gun ,...

Criminally late. That was an execution.

 

[Beerman]

One word. Acorn.

Same cop shop, isn’t it? What an embarrassment. #FreeState

 

[VietnamEraVet]

The door was opened by the homeowner, it was not kicked in.

My prior comment was based on what had been reported, - that they busted down the door. Clearly not the case, from the video, now released.

I have seen some other videos and articles that make the case for just not opening your door, - at all. Seems to have merit. I know my GF and I have discussed it, and while we are both well armed, we have decided that we use our cameras always, and are not opening the door to anyone not known or expected. End of story. And if someone is out there claiming to be law enforcement, we will call 911 to verify that first.

I don't want to have to stand off to the side with my EDC in hand while she answers the door to some stranger, although I have done that.

 

[GOPerfect]

My prior comment was based on what had been reported, - that they busted down the door. Clearly not the case, from the video, now released.

I have seen some other videos and articles that make the case for just not opening your door, - at all. Seems to have merit. I know my GF and I have discussed it, and while we are both well armed, we have decided that we use our cameras always, and are not opening the door to anyone not known or expected. End of story. And if someone is out there claiming to be law enforcement, we will call 911 to verify that first.

I don't want to have to stand off to the side with my EDC in hand while she answers the door to some stranger, although I have done that.

Agreed

 

[Saltwater60]

I'm not buying it. And it doesn't fucking matter. So, they get a call for disturbance at 12 Smith Street; they show up; and no apparent noises, evidence of break-in, or otherwise. So, file a report, and leave.

But no...., let's break down the door! Hey look, - there's a guy inside, - WITH A GUN! Let's fucking shoot his ass and kill him!

Somebody needs to go to jail.

Oh, and BTW Salt, re that case of the drunk teacher a few years back: I recall that the homeowner stayed upstairs with his gun, and kept telling the intruder that he had entered the wrong house, that he was armed, and to get out. It was reported that he shot him when he started coming up the stairs.

I can’t disagree with you. It would be nice to see if they release the body cam video. I’d love to know if they yelled police 10 times and drop the gun or if it was a bust down the door and bang, bang, bang.
I’ll bet there aren’t riots in the streets for this kid and maybe they’d be warranted in this case.

Apparently the video has been released and it’s a tough call. I wouldn’t answer the door with a gun visible if some one yelled sheriffs office and knocked. The cops came to my door a while back at 1:00am on Halloween and I left my gun upstairs. I have a ring and knew it was the local cops and I knew them so there is that. This is all sorts of messed up.

 

[pshift]

Rumor has it that the cop was influenced by this...