A Florida jury this week acquitted former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy Eddie Duran of manslaughter in the 2024 shooting death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson. Duran had faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Fortson, 23, served as a crewmember aboard AC-130J gunships with the 4th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida. He was killed inside his apartment after answering his door while holding a pistol.

Duran arrived at Fortson’s apartment in response to a noise complaint and knocked on the airman’s door. When Fortson opened the door with the pistol in his hand, Duran immediately shot him five times.

Body camera footage from Duran captured the encounter. The video showed Fortson holding the pistol when he answered the door, but it also showed that he did not point the weapon at the deputy.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff fired Duran less than a month after the shooting. An internal investigation by the sheriff’s office determined that Duran’s decision to shoot Fortson was “not objectively reasonable.”

The Florida State Attorney’s Office later charged Duran with manslaughter. The criminal case ultimately went before the Florida jury that returned the acquittal this week.

The verdict means Duran will not face the potential prison sentence tied to the manslaughter charge. For Fortson’s family, however, the decision marked another painful development following the airman’s death.

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Fortson’s family, described the verdict as a “painful moment.” His statement emphasized Fortson’s military service, his age and the family’s continuing effort to pursue accountability.

“Roger was a 23-year-old Senior Airman who chose to serve this country, and he was shot and killed at the door of his own home,” Crump said in the statement.

“His family has lived with that loss every day for more than two years, and this verdict is incredibly hard for them. Roger’s life and his service will always matter.”

Crump said the family’s pursuit of legal action will continue despite the jury’s verdict. He said the family intends to move forward with a separate civil rights lawsuit in federal court.

“His family will keep fighting for him, and we will stand with them as they pursue their civil rights case in federal court and seek accountability for the tragic loss of his life,” Crump said.

Fortson’s death drew nationwide attention after the body camera footage and details of the shooting became public. The case also produced an outcry among fellow service members and veterans.

Hundreds of people attended Fortson’s funeral in 2024. Many of those mourners were fellow airmen, including the head of the 1st Special Operations Wing, which is based at Hurlburt Field.

Personnel at Hurlburt Field continued honoring Fortson after his death. In April, personnel at the base held a memorial ruck march named in his honor.

The Florida State Attorney’s Office said it accepts the jury’s decision. Its statement also addressed Fortson’s family and the Air Force community that rallied around them following the fatal shooting.

“We extend our continuing sympathy to his loved ones and to the Air Force community that has stood beside them,” the state attorney’s office said.

The acquittal closes the state manslaughter case against Duran, who was fired following the sheriff’s internal review. Fortson’s family, meanwhile, plans to continue its separate federal civil rights case.