Latest Fort Walton Beach News
Lawyer for family of slain US Air Force airman says video and calls show deputy went to wrong home
STONECREST, Ga. (AP) — A lawyer for the family of Roger Fortson said Thursday that police radio traffic and the body camera footage of the Florida sheriff’s deputy who killed the Black U.S. Air Force airman reinforce their assertion that the deputy was directed to the wrong apartment while...
Who gets to claim self-defense in shootings? Airman’s death sparks debate over race and gun rights
For the past decade, “Stand Your Ground” laws have been invoked time and time again by gun owners who claim self-defense after carrying out shootings. Critics have denounced them as “shoot first” laws that have created a climate of vigilantism in which gun owners operate with impunity in...
Airman shot by deputy doted on little sister and aimed to buy mom a house, family says
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Just two days before a sheriff's deputy in Florida shot him dead, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson called home to find out what his 10-year-old sister wanted for her birthday. It was a typical gesture for the 23-year-old from Atlanta, who...
Florida deputies who fatally shot US airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
MIAMI (AP) — Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man’s family said Wednesday. Senior Airman...