The sanctuary of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, became a poignant tableau of grief and solidarity as hundreds of mourners gathered to pay tribute to Senior Airman Roger Fortson. In a sobering homage, airmen in dress blues lined up to honor one of their own, whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 23 by a sheriff’s deputy’s bullets in his Florida home.
In the solemn ceremony, the dress blues of Air Force members filled the pews, a testament to the high esteem in which Fortson was held. Col. Patrick Dierig, commanding officer of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Air Force Base where Fortson served, said, “As you can see from the sea of Air Force blue, I am not alone in my admiration of Senior Airman Fortson.” Dierig reflected on Fortson’s inherent greatness, a quality he possessed before his time in the Air Force, one that shone brightly in his service and character.
The funeral service, rich with emotion and calls for justice, also served as a platform for powerful commentary on racial injustice in America. The Rev. Jamal Bryant drew a parallel between Fortson’s death and the 1963 murder of civil rights icon Medgar Evers, noting that, “Because in America, before people see you as a veteran, as an airman in the United States Air Force, they’ll see you as a Black man.” Bryant’s eulogy encapsulated a powerful sentiment: Fortson was better to America than America was to him.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Fortson family, added to the calls for accountability, declaring, “We’ve got to call it what it is: It was murder.” The Rev. Al Sharpton, in a recorded message, questioned whether America would stand up for Fortson as he had stood up for it.
She also had a message for Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden: “You’re going to give me justice whether you want to, Sheriff Aden, or not,” she said.
Fortson’s family and Crump argue that the shooting was completely unjustified and that the deputy had gone to the wrong apartment while responding to a call about a possible domestic disturbance in progress at the apartment complex. Fortson was home alone and talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime when he grabbed his gun because he heard someone outside his unit, Crump has said.
The deputy, whose name has not been released, shot Fortson within moments of the airman responding to the deputy’s knocking and opening his door. Sheriff’s officials say the deputy acted in self-defense.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating and the deputy has been placed on administrative leave.
Relevant articles:
– Hundreds pack funeral for slain airman Roger Fortson, Air Force Times, 05/22/2024
– Roger Fortson: Air Force honors Atlanta airman killed by Florida deputy, FOX 5 Atlanta, 05/21/2024
– Air Force honors ‘exceptional’ airman killed in Florida police shooting, Stars and Stripes, 05/21/2024
– The Air Force community says farewell to late Airman Roger Fortson, WFSU News, 05/20/2024
– Hundreds pack funeral for Roger Fortson, the Black airman killed in his home by a Florida deputy, TheGrio, 05/19/2024
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