In a press conference held in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, the family of Senior Airman Roger Fortson, a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was fatally shot by deputies, expressed their intention to correct the false narrative put forth by the authorities regarding his death. The family strongly believes that the deputies did not act in self-defense, as claimed, and that Fortson's name needs to be cleared.

According to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Fortson was unaware that the individuals forcefully entering his apartment were sheriff's deputies. Mistaking them for intruders, Fortson reached for his legally registered firearm to protect himself. The family plans to review the body camera footage later in the day to gather more information about the incident.

Crump, accompanied by Fortson's mother, Chantemekki Fortson, who emotionally held a framed portrait of her son in his dress uniform, emphasized the devastating impact of the shooting on the family. Chantemekki tearfully stated, "My baby was shot up."

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, which has not disclosed the identity or races of the responding deputies, is expected to hold a news conference later in the day. The shooting will be investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the local State Attorney's Office.

Crump asserted that the deputies mistakenly entered the wrong unit and fatally shot Fortson when they observed him holding a gun. Fortson had armed himself due to concerns about someone outside his apartment, receiving no response when he asked who was there and discovering that his peephole was blocked.

Crump criticized the sheriff's office for maintaining that the deputies acted in self-defense and called the shooting an "unjustifiable killing." He urged the office to take responsibility for the tragedy and stressed the importance of proper verification before forcefully entering someone's home.

When contacted by The Associated Press for comment, the sheriff's office did not respond. In a previous statement, the office stated that a responding deputy, following a call reporting a disturbance in progress, acted in self-defense upon encountering an armed individual. Further details of the disturbance or the source of the call were not provided.

According to Crump, Fortson, originally from Atlanta, suffered six gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. The deputy responsible for the shooting has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Crump highlighted Fortson's constitutional rights to possess a firearm and protection against unreasonable searches by the police. He led the family and other attorneys in chanting, "Clear Roger's name," emphasizing the significance of Fourth Amendment and Second Amendment rights.

Fortson, who fulfilled his dream by joining the U.S. Air Force after high school, was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field. As a special missions aviator, he played an important role in loading the gunship's cannons during missions.

The circumstances surrounding Fortson's death bear striking similarities to cases in which Black individuals were killed by police officers in their homes. Examples include the shooting of Botham Jean in Dallas in 2018 and Atatiana Jefferson in Fort Worth in 2019.

The family's quest for justice, spearheaded by attorney Ben Crump, has been instrumental in holding law enforcement accountable for the killings of Black individuals. In light of Fortson's tragic death, the need for transparency and accountability in these cases becomes all the more evident.

The investigation into Fortson's shooting is ongoing, and further updates and details will be provided as the case unfolds.