Ex-Okaloosa deputy Eddie Duran found not guilty of manslaughter

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Thu Oct 1, 2026 · FORT WALTON BEACH · Okaloosa County

A jury on Thursday found former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran, 40, not guilty of manslaughter with a firearm in the death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23. Jurors deliberated for about two hours.

Duran shot Fortson on May 3, 2024, at Fortson’s apartment in the Fort Walton Beach area. Duran had been sent on what the call described as a possible fight between a man and a woman. Fortson was alone and on a video call with his girlfriend. The shooting drew national attention because Fortson was an active-duty Air Force airman.

How the call started: a downstairs neighbor phoned the apartment office after hearing what she took to be an argument above her. An office employee then called the county’s non-emergency line. Testimony showed that neither woman saw who was involved, and the neighbor did not call police herself because things quieted down.

What the girlfriend told jurors: Fortson was playing a video game, with a headset on one ear, and there was no argument. They heard a knock, then a louder one. She told him not to answer. He looked through the peephole, saw no one, and went to get his handgun after a third knock.

What the body camera shows, as described in testimony and court coverage: Duran knocked twice and stepped aside without identifying himself. On the third knock he shouted “Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department.” Fortson opened the door with a handgun in his right hand, held at his side and pointed at the ground. Duran fired five times almost immediately. Fortson, on the floor, said he did not have the gun. Deputies who arrived within a minute found no one else in the apartment.

What prosecutors argued: Prosecutor Mark Alderman said Duran did not properly identify himself and shot “almost immediately” when the door opened, without reason to believe his life was in imminent danger.

What the defense argued: Duran pleaded not guilty on self-defense grounds. He testified that he followed his training, that he feared for his life, and that he saw Fortson’s gun held at an angle toward him. “I thought I was dead,” he told the jury. Defense witnesses, including firearms and use-of-force experts, said officers are not trained to wait for an attack before reacting. The sheriff’s office fired Duran on May 31, 2024, after an internal investigation.

What is still open: the Fortson family and attorney Ben Crump filed a five-count federal lawsuit in May 2025 against Sheriff Eric Aden, Duran and others (per WEAR).

Timeline: May 3, 2024 shooting. May 31, 2024 Duran fired. May 2025 federal lawsuit filed. Mon Sep 28, 2026 jury selection. Wed Sep 30 Duran testifies and the defense rests. Thu Oct 1 closing arguments, two-hour deliberation, not guilty verdict.

Written by Emerald Coast Bookings from trial and verdict coverage by WEAR-TV, FOX10 (WALA), ABC News, WUWF and Mid Bay News. Location shown is approximate, at city level only. We did not pull the court docket.