A police officer who killed a black soldier during a raid on his Florida apartment has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday.
Roger Fortson, 23, was killed on May 3 during a local police intervention, alerted to an ongoing incident with possible physical violence. He was alone at home, on a video call with his girlfriend, when the police violently knocked on his door.
After trying to identify who was knocking, Roger Fortson went to get his gun, then opened the door, the weapon pointed at the ground.
He was immediately killed, shot six times by a sheriff’s officer.
The officer in question, Eddie Duran, who was fired after the tragedy, now faces up to 30 years in prison, said prosecutor Ginger Bowden Madden.
According to the sheriff’s office, Roger Fortson did not resist or point his gun at the officer.
The United States was rocked in 2020 by a wave of protests following the killing of George Floyd, an African-American, by a white police officer in the city of Minneapolis. His death reignited calls for police reform and debate over black-white relations in a country where racism remains a major problem.
The lawyer representing Mr Forston’s family, Ben Crump, said the indictment was a “first step towards justice”.
“Let this remind law enforcement officers around the world that they are sworn to protect and defend, and that their actions have consequences, especially when they result in the loss of life,” said the lawyer, known for his involvement in cases of police violence against black people.
