VIDEO: Black U.S. airman fatally shot by police at home in Florida; family claims deputy went to wrong apartment

Washington: A black U.S. airman was fatally shot last week at his own apartment by police in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, local media reported on Thursday.

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, was shot multiple times by a sheriff deputy as soon as he answered the door of his apartment on May 3, holding what appeared to be a handgun pointed down toward the floor, according to a video taken from the body camera worn by the deputy.

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In Florida, US airman Roger Fortson (black) was shot dead by a white police officer in case of mistaken identity. The officer knocked and entered the wrong door when arrived to the apartment complex where distress call was made from. The airman had no clue what was going on: pic.twitter.com/I5cjOFoR7h

— Bashkarma (@Karmabash) May 9, 2024 >

Fortson was then taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, officials said.

A lawyer for Fortson's family alleged the deputy had gone to the wrong apartment.

He told reporters earlier that Fortson was talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime and that he grabbed his gun because he heard someone outside his apartment, citing the account of the girlfriend.

In a clip from the FaceTime video captured by Fortson’s phone, the airman can be heard groaning and saying, “I can’t breathe.” A deputy can be heard yelling back at him, “Stop moving!” The phone is pointed at the ceiling.

Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said the deputy had responded to "a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man," and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and state attorney's office would conduct an investigation.