Deputy Acquitted in Roger Fortson’s Killing—Gun Owners Still Face the Doorway Question

Roger Fortson answered his apartment door holding a handgun pointed toward the floor. The deputy who shot him has been acquitted.

October 5 reporting in Bearing Arms describes an Okaloosa County jury finding former deputy Eddie Duran not guilty of manslaughter with a firearm. The shooting occurred in May 2024 at Fortson’s apartment near Hurlburt Field. Fortson was a U.S. Air Force airman.

The reported body-camera sequence shows the deputy announcing himself, Fortson opening the door with the handgun down, and shots preceding commands to drop the gun. Fortson died after the shooting.

The verdict concerns the prosecution’s criminal case. It is not a broad ruling that an armed person at home forfeits constitutional protection, and an acquittal should not be presented as such. The incident remains a serious accountability story for readers who keep firearms for protection. Follow the verified record rather than turning the case into a general instruction about answering a door. Sign up for WTF News for continued coverage.