Roger Fortson's Mother Says Deputy Eddie Duran's Trial Has Been Slowed Down 17 Times After Black Airman Was Shot to Death

Roger Fortson's mother says the criminal case against former Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy Eddie Duran has been postponed at least 17 times, leaving her family waiting more than two years for a trial in the fatal shooting of the 23-year-old Black U.S. Air Force senior airman.

Duran, who is charged with first-degree manslaughter and has pleaded not guilty, is now scheduled to stand trial on Sept. 28 after a judge denied another request to delay the proceedings. According to WUWF, attorneys will also return to court for hearings on expert witness testimony before a jury is seated.

The repeated postponements have fueled Meka Fortson's belief that the defense is deliberately dragging out the proceedings while Duran remains free. She said every delay has forced her family to relive the loss without moving any closer to seeing this through, despite body-camera video capturing the shooting within seconds of her son opening the apartment door.

On May 3, 2024, Roger Fortson was shot after Duran responded to a reported domestic disturbance that investigators later determined was unfounded. Body-camera video shows him opening the apartment door while holding a legally owned handgun pointed toward the floor before Duran fired multiple shots within seconds.

An internal investigation concluded Duran's use of deadly force was not objectively reasonable, leading to his dismissal from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison on the first-degree manslaughter charge.

Patience has worn thin, yet matching blue shirts bearing Fortson's photograph returned to court as people traveled from several states for the hearing. Meka Fortson said she remains determined to see the prosecution finally reach a jury, noting that those responsible for the August 2024 killing of her younger son, Andre Fortson, have already been convicted while Roger's case continues to await trial after repeated postponements.