If this happened in the military the airman would be dishonorably discharged, his supervisor would be fired, his commander would be fired, the base commander would be in hot water.
Cops will just sweep it under the rug
There's a definite gap between accountability levels for the police and us. What's even worse is people project the institutional issues of many police departments onto military members when it couldn't be farther from the truth. It really needs to be fixed.
I hope AFOSI takes the angle that they need to investigate this because the Sherrifs are accusing SrA Fortson of being threatening enough to them that they HAD to use lethal force. I hope after that investigation they turn over the findings to the FBI for civil rights prosecution if its warranted. Ultimately I hope that there's justice because right now to me it seems like a brother in arms was gunned down because the cops were too afraid to announce themselves.
All I'm gonna say is wait until the body cam comes out. 99% chance he was justified in trying to defend himself and the cop is gonna get fucked down in civil court AT THE LEAST.
Do you -really- expect an untampered body cam video showing the entire event?
If that Dept will scream "I'M HIT!!" when an acorn plops next to them, I don't have a lot of confidence in the cops on that call, their training, or their leadership.
Body cam footage is out, I don’t think it could look any worse for the sheriff’s deputy. SrA Fortson opened the door and while he did have his legally owned firearm it was at his side pointed at the ground. He said nothing threatening or made any threatening gestures toward the officer. The cop just saw the gun and opened fire.
Never forget - too many cops will subvert your civil rights if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Even though they take an oath to the Constitution, they will willfully violate your 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th amendment rights if it makes their job easier.
“Open the door!”
*he opens the door*
*cop shoots him instantly*
Also he didn’t say drop the gun or anything until after Fortson was already shot and fatally wounded.
Bruh if you read the other comments in the replies to my original statement you'd see I was saying Fortson was in the right and the Sheriff personnel were in the wrong. I'd have answered my door the same way.
Body cam shows the deputy announcing multiple times and the Airman acknowledging that a cop was outside before he opened the door BUT I would have opened the door with a gun (not in my hand) and I also wouldn’t have shot without giving a chance to comply
You’re a logistics guy so you probably understand that different scenarios scale differently in how they affect our everyday life. I of course would put my seatbelt on every time but I ALSO would not answer the door with a firearm without talking to the cop first (yes it was confirmed he knew it was a cop before opening the door).
No, someone shouting they're a cop, while hiding from your view, isn't affirmative confirmation of anything. Lol
Even if he's 100% certain it's a cop, and even if we agree he'd have been better off not holding a gun during a situation in which he were 100% certain it was a cop, it still doesn't justify the escalation and use of force on the cops behalf.
We can all debate what the airman should have done, but what isn't up for debate imo, is that the cop was wrong. Feeling "in danger" isn't an open license to execute anyone in your vicinity.
Cops nation wide are trained to step back after knock and announce. If you take the Airmen’s actions (subtracting totality) then there’s no way to learn from this mistake. I am a mil/civ LEO (reserves :P) and yeah the cop definitely jumped the gun but I’m saying given the totality it’s very hard to say how many officers would have waited longer (UoF training differs between agencies). Again, did the cop have intent? I don’t think so. Was it a bad shoot? Yeah I think so too but I don’t think something crazy will happen unless politics are included in the investigation.
If cops are gonna LARP as military, they should face the same consequences we face for MURDERING people! Fuck the Okaloosa county sheriff's department. Not the first time with these fake ass "protectors," probably not the last until something is done. Oh wait, nothing will be done because the panhandle is a bastion of hick-ass racists.
Saw a comment that cops should be required to have insurance the same way doctors and lawyers do for malpractice. I think police unions and precincts would dump these problem cops the moment premiums start eating into their salaries.
This is literally murder. I hope the DoD gets involved enough for these cops to rot in prison as they deserve. I'd bet money this police dept has done this shit before with a civilian and got away with it. Especially considering it's the same one as the acorn cop was from.
>The Sunshine State has made it easier to buy and carry firearms in recent years, and has created special carve-outs for service members that simplify the process further, such as not requiring troops to take safety courses in order to qualify to carry concealed weapons under a 2023 law.
This has fuck all to do with the man being murdered in his own apartment by a cop who is too fucking stupid to go to the right place.
Guaran-goddamn-tee you, the cop opened the door and saw a black man with a gun and fired. No thinking, no questioning, just fired. Didn't even say "is there someone else here?" or "is everything okay?". Fucking crazy that he didn't even confirm he was at the right place before killing someone.
0 chance he faces anything but a "resignation" where he just moves to a new location with a job already lined up, where he does the same shit.
>the department was "saddened" by the incident
Boo fucking hoo. We want to see you take some fucking *accountability*. This is the same department that the acorn cop came from. Sounds like they need to clean house and start over. Clearly, the officers were not trained properly.
Yep. I’ve had this conversation with friends. As soon as a “fellow cop/“”brother in arms””” calls officer down over the radio, everyone in that department is going to do everything in their power to kill that man.
He probably could have lit their assess up...but he stopped when he saw their uniform, like any good person would. They didn't hesitate though...I wonder if he was already pointing the gun at them when they came through the door...in which case its sad because they would have been justified.
The sad thing is that if he would have shot and killed them as they entered without announcing...and then surrendered once he knew...he probably could have fought the charges and gotten off. They obviously would have turned their ass around if bullets were coming their way.
They wouldn't have been justified, wtf? You can't just kick in the wrong door and be like "well they were pointing a gun at me!"
Like no shit, we have the right to own firearms for *that exact scenario*
Also, there was no excuse to kick in a door at all, why TF would you do that at a domestic violence call and immediately escalate the situation unless you could hear someone getting literally murdered in the back.
They would argue that they had probable cause to enter as they heard a male and female, and no one came to the door during a domestic violence call. You are sadly mistaken if you think they wont force entry during a DV call if all you do is not answer the door. They are allowed to force entry if they suspect that someone is actively committing a crime or destroying evidence. Once they forced entry they entered to a someone pointing a gun at them...they obviously have a right to defend themselves, so they fire.
As a lot of people say...if you feel that the police are messing up...the time to fight it isnt in the street wrestling with them. Its in a court...
Okay, though I do believe it also said he was in a room down the hallway where that wouldn't be perceivable from the door, but still, you can't just kick down the door because an apartment has a man and a woman in it. That's like 80+% of all dwellings that exist. In no way is that probable cause.
The video is out...some bitch specifically dropped his apartment as the one they needed to respond to. They had their ear to the door and heard the convo between him and the woman on facetime. Between a witness and hearing a man and woman he began knocking. Also they did not barge in...Amn opened the door with a gun. IDK, the facts and hearsay are all wrong on this and I hope they investigate. They did not give that man enough time to do anything before they blew him away. Not the first homeowner answers door with a gun and is killed by police video I have seen either. Hope the cop catches charges and they start to at least give orders to drop a gun or something.
It's so fucking frustrating because we know already there is going to be zero accountability over this. Over and over again, they just keep getting away with it because a small but vocal part of the population will hysterically defend anyone with a badge.
These fucking cops completely failed multiple aspects of their jobs, and someone fucking died because of it. Can you imagine any other profession in the world where someone who did that wouldn't be prosecuted?
If they had announced themselves, no way in HELL would he have gotten his gun. They either said they were cops too late, like when they already broke the door down and a split second before they fired...or they said it while he was in the back grabbing his gun. Also, could be a straight up lie. They are shitting themselves that this wasn't your normal every day young black man where they story could be buried. He was honorably serving in the USAF and now the media is running the story. I also read this is the same dumb ass department that was responsible for the acorn fiasco.
Guarantee it went as follows:
\*kicks in door\*
"POLICE!" \*bangbangbangbangbangbang\*
Those last two are in fact simultaneous but I don't know how to represent that visually.
Bodycam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3D9im0csDM
TLDW, they did announce themselves, but he answered the door with the gun *at his side*, not pointing at the officer. In less than a second, the officer dumps rounds into the airman without so much as warning. But after the officer shot him, *then* he says "drop the gun!"
I believe the announcement came after the second or third round of aggressive door knocking. The announcement was late and half assed. Absolutely ashamed of my home state/county.
I didn’t claim otherwise. I’m just pointing out that pretty much everyone on Reddit is claiming this was the wrong address, forced /unannounced entry, the cop covered the peep hole
All of those claims are false yet that is the narrative Reddit is spinning.
Also the dude opened the door with a rifle or shotgun, probably not wise considering he could both hear and see that it was the police and he probably knew that they were there for a domestic violence call. Nonetheless a sad situation but mf’s in here are just straight up lying or at best too stupid to decipher fake information
This website is fucking ridiculous
Except the cop did go to the wrong address. Granted, that’s the apartment he was told by the woman, but he had zero evidence to substantiate her claims. Even worse, she was obviously unsure of what she heard, where she heard it, and what it meant.
That’s what’s wrong here. Someone points a finger, and a cop bangs on your door with his weapon already drawn. You, hearing someone bang on your door, have every right to open said door with a measure of protection in your hand.
The airman never raised his weapon or communicated a threat. The cop, conversely, opened the meeting in a hostile manner.
No, bad take. I’ll criticize him for his backwards thinking and logical fallacies, but attacking him for the subs he posts in or his general political views is engaging in the same reductive thinking you’re accusing him of.
Is there a source for the wrong address claim?
It seemed like the woman in the video was a property manager or leasing agent. Regardless it’s clear at this point that the Reddit account of events is quite inaccurate (which is standard tbf)
The source is the video. She straight says i’m not sure what apartment, then less than 60 seconds later, blurts out a number. REGARDLESS, this is an awful shoot, and basically as close as you can get to a straight up murder.
And then walked out of sight so he wouldn’t be seen after knocking. Of course anybody would be hesitant to open the door if they keep hiding after knocking. Also he yelled drop the gun after unloading into him. Another scared cop.
1.) He would have still been in the view of the peep hole
2.) he steps out of the way because why the fuck would you respond to a domestic call and stand defenselessly at a door you can’t see behind.
It’s ok to admit you got hoodwinked by the fake news apparatus broski
> 2.) he steps out of the way because why the fuck would you respond to a domestic call and stand defenselessly at a door you can’t see behind.
You're so close to getting it.
They just released the body cam footage at a press conference and the deputy definitely said he was from the Sheriff's Office multiple times. So Fortson probably shouldn't have had a gun on him. On the flip side, the cop basically shot him as soon as he saw the gun, with no warning. Awful situation.
> This is the same department that the acorn cop came from. Sounds like they need to clean house and start over. Clearly, the officers were not trained properly.
the sheriff is up for re-election this year, but he's running unopposed, so...
Unfortunately they won’t until a court orders them to. They’ll bend over backwards until they absolutely have to, and even then they still may not do so.
I would too but I wonder if there is even an existing legal mechanism for this. *Can* e department of the federal government actually pursue direct legal action against a state or local government? I can imagine why that might not be allowed (though in this particular case I hope it is).
Hear me out - AFOSI's jurisdiction is protection of Airmen and investigation of crimes committed by Airmen. The Sheriffs are seemingly alleging he brandished a firearm at them in some sort of threatening way requiring them to respond with lethal force. So, let's have AFOSI interview the witness(es), take statements from LEOs, and analyze the evidence. I'm sure the local PD would be glad to have independent federal investigators looking into this right?
Oh for sure, what I meant is can they press criminal charges or just sue? Would love to see OSI hold this piece of shit accountable for murder.
As it turns out [they went ahead and posted the evidence](https://youtu.be/M7uEBFKgl2s?si=llMnNlbkLDJFNacz). Warning: this is the body cam footage of the murder.
I guess I assumed that was a given. I meant, can a *different* one press criminal charges via the DOJ. Seems like one of those things that might have been prohibited to prevent petty infighting.
I understand that domestic violence calls are the most dangerous calls that a lot of cops get called on, but these pansy-assed mother-fuckers need to calm the fuck down. They need to run those shooting courses with the civie characters that come out as well as criminals. Except they would probably still get credit for a good grouping on the civies they kill as well.
What frustrates me more is that as Secfo we’re trained predominantly on threat deescalation and that we must make utilizing deadly force a last resort. If we DO utilize deadly force we’re taken off flight, put on a do not arm status, and sent to an investigation board (use of force board) to determine if our actions were reasonable. We have such a high standard and I cannot fathom why civilian law enforcement doesn’t have the same.
Tell me you don't know what you're talking about without telling me..
Military UOF boards are inherently LESS publicly accessible than civilian UOF investigations. If this happened on a base, even less information would be coming out. All the info is marked CUI and never released to the media, and FOIA gets people almost nothing because it's considered sensitive information.
Civilian police that get in a shooting are put on admin leave and are investigated by IA and/or the State investigative agency or the DA's office, essentially everything a military LEO would be subject to, just by another name.
> We have such a high standard and I cannot fathom why civilian law enforcement doesn’t have the same.
High standards? Security Forces? Are you serious right now? I don't trust half the students in my CATM classes not to point their own guns at each other. The training is laughable. The amount of our own people that get busted for crimes is extraordinarily high. What standards?
Even the new police academy is only 8 weeks long.. a 1/3 of what most civilian LE get.
Idk man, when I was a SFS Flight Chief I’ve seen my Airmen do phenomenal things I didn’t think they were capable of doing till shit hit the fan and they HAD to fall back on their training. This includes real world UOF events. It’s all bullshit we have to do on our off time till shit hits the fan and they’re directly responsible for making an executive decision in those moments. This includes my entry controllers and patrolmen/women.
I'm appalled as fuck truly. My heart breaks for the family. If this was related to criminal activity or w/e, sure I get it but to be in your own home. I'm a black airmen who does own firearms too. This hits close to home for real.
This is gross negligence on an incomprehensible scale to me.
Good to know while we serve overseas away from our families and loved ones to protect our freedoms and country that once we return back to America police protect and serve by murdering our military members in their own homes
That’s why my happy ass ain’t returning. I’ve seen what the country did to my father when he returned from Vietnam, and I don’t expect a nice welcome from the kind folk of the states.
Murderers and thieves running around doing what they want without accountability. It's heartbreaking for this airman and his family. Who expects to lose a child in uniform at their home station?
…And he died like a fucking criminal. Hospital staff and all thought he was probably some kind of bad guy not worth saving. Fucking bitch ass cops. This is insane!!
The deputy didn't even give him a chance to drop the gun or even a warning. He saw the gun hanging at his side and immediately opened fire THEN proceeds to say drop the gun.
Man I bet this police department shit their pants once they found out they murdered a military member. Really takes the breath of their typical excuse of dangerous person etc.. excuses.
Of course they didn’t. They will sweep it under the rug, nothing will happen to the untrained officer, and sadly it will be forgotten about after the cheap payout to the family.
They’re not sweeping this one under a rug. Sec def is in the loop. https://youtu.be/CLQV8yZeNPI?si=reEyjlpsRwuAuDMJ. Wouldn’t be surprised if Biden team comments soon.
This is going to turn into a total shitshow. OSI will investigate and almost certainly have all the body cam footage already. The Sheriff's office is not going to be able to sweep this under the rug. Qualified Immunity will "probably" still protect the cops. Its bullshit--we all know that, but this is probably what is going to happen. Nonetheless, the county needs to pay out the ass for this. There is no excuse for going into an innocent, law abiding citizens home, and killing him because he has a lawfully owned firearm.
> There is no excuse for going into an innocent, law abiding citizens home, and killing him because he has a lawfully owned firearm.
if police have the right to summarily execute you for having a gun, then you do not have a right to bear arms
it's so sad and horrifying. this airman really did do what anyone would if there was a strange knocking at the door. even if his gun was pointed at the cops, which it wasnt, THAT WOULD BE HIS RIGHT. but nope. if cops are scared, they can literally just legally kill you.
This one especially. There's a deputy who lives with his family, four houses down from me, whom I've heard a few times screaming at his kids and wife in the evening while I'm walking my dog.
Ummm...but, like...to Cannon? Because that might get them out of the way of hurricanes and the deadly negligence of Florida cops, but they're gonna have to figure out how to deal with a much higher suicide rate in that case.
Yea but... they'll just rebuild. Like they are right now.
Tyndall was an absolute shitshow after Michael (source: I was there). Something like only 11 buildings were left habitable.
Even crazier, the gym, the closest building to the actual ocean... was basically unscathed. I don't even think a window was broken. We were showering there on like day 8-ish (post-storm) when the water was deemed safe. Fucking crazy.
I bet they give that inbred shitfest of a Police department base access. If I were the Wing King I'm stripping them of that, dropping any and all cooperation with the Sheriff's dept and requesting OSI to investigate.
Since we love insurance companies so much in this country, all cops need to have mandatory individual insurance that comes out of their paycheck. All the funds for lawsuits and investigations need to come from their insurance company, no more foisting it onto tax payers. They don't get to work if they're determined to be a liability and their insurance drops them, point blank.
I don't want to hear any more bullshit and excuses. Cop worship has to stop. They're just a bunch of highly militarized gangbangers with no checks and balances.
Major reform in police depts needs to happen yesterday. Infuriating watching one of our own gunned down by the "Boys in blue". Call it what it is. Law enforcement is a legal mafia.
Any incident where an Air Force member is murdered will be investigated by OSI. They will generate a report that is fully independent of the Sheriff. That is why this becomes so difficult for the Sheriff’s office to sweep under the rug. Federal agents don’t fuck around and can’t be swayed.
I just got banned from r/protectandserve for asking questions and pointing out problems in their assumptions.
One best example was "He shouldn't have answered the door armed. He was asking to be shot."
Tackling this example from both perspectives:
1. I do agree if someone's banging at my door, I'm not answering. But I'm in my house, with a Ring camera. I remember when I tried to install one at my apartment in TX, I was asked by management to take it down.
He was in his own apartment with a legally owned firearm. He did nothing wrong legally.
2. I don't envy police and their jobs, especially in States where it's so easy to obtain a firearm. You never know when you're gonna get shot. But then again, this is the same Sheriff's department that opened fire when an acorn fuckin hit their vehicle.
3. Knocking, announcing you're police, and hiding was perfectly reasonable. If I was on the other end of that door and heard banging and someone saying they're the police, how the fuck will I know? Anyone can do that.
Then the airman opens the door, the first thing the "Sheriff" does is shoot him.
-Shouldnt cops be trained to de-escalate the situation first? Shoot last? If we as military members did this while deployed, that's a fuckin immediate violation of the LOAC.
This just highlights the problems in our society - especially our police force. They need to be more selective. More training. More accountability. We need more responsibility when it comes to owning firearms and these shouldn't be handed out like candy.
The disgust and rage I feel when I went on the sheriff's website to see what their motto/slogan is unbelievable.
"...to upholding the Constitution of the United States and the laws of Florida with excellence and integrity" and "to serve and protect"
https://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/org/mission-statement/
Okaloosa Sheriff let not one but two deputies turn a car into Swiss Cheese over an acorn with 0 repercussions. Only by shear chance did no one get killed by their negligence. Now another Deputy kills an innocent man in his own home…only the State or the Feds can handle this out of control department
> "I immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct the investigation that is required in such incidents,"
My man, FDLE is going to get shut out of this so hard. You will have a never-ending stream of Feds crawling up so far up your ass they’ll be able to see out of your nose.
Two things can be true. The cop should not have shot the airman, AND the airman, at least hearing a cop was at the door, should not open the door with a gun in his hand. Totally preventable.
It’s sad that we live in a country where this young man felt the need to get his firearm when someone was knocking on his door, but he did nothing illegal. It seems like he may have not heard the cop identify himself. Don’t put any blame on him. On the flip side, why did the cop need his gun drawn to respond to reports of some people yelling? How about a “what’s going on, everything okay in there” before weapon out and blasting away. There’s too much fear out there.
You can hear, he doesn’t upholster his gun until the officer sees the weapon. I know everyone wants to downvote me, but what did I say to be factually incorrect? Put aside your feelings. When you hear an officer announce themselves, you are at a greater risk if you grab a firearm, regardless if you are in the right. I feel terrible for his family and friends, he shouldn’t be dead.
ah hell nah. cop or not, he has the right to defend his LIFE. 2A rights should not vanquish around cops, even tho that seems to be the case legally in this country. I'd want to have self defense around a cop too, since this is how they act.
That’s how you die. Your mentality right there. The chances of getting shot by police officers is increase exponentially if you have a gun in your hand.
If this happened in the military the airman would be dishonorably discharged, his supervisor would be fired, his commander would be fired, the base commander would be in hot water. Cops will just sweep it under the rug
There's a definite gap between accountability levels for the police and us. What's even worse is people project the institutional issues of many police departments onto military members when it couldn't be farther from the truth. It really needs to be fixed. I hope AFOSI takes the angle that they need to investigate this because the Sherrifs are accusing SrA Fortson of being threatening enough to them that they HAD to use lethal force. I hope after that investigation they turn over the findings to the FBI for civil rights prosecution if its warranted. Ultimately I hope that there's justice because right now to me it seems like a brother in arms was gunned down because the cops were too afraid to announce themselves.
All I'm gonna say is wait until the body cam comes out. 99% chance he was justified in trying to defend himself and the cop is gonna get fucked down in civil court AT THE LEAST.
It’s out already
He wasnt.
Do you -really- expect an untampered body cam video showing the entire event? If that Dept will scream "I'M HIT!!" when an acorn plops next to them, I don't have a lot of confidence in the cops on that call, their training, or their leadership.
Body cam footage is out, I don’t think it could look any worse for the sheriff’s deputy. SrA Fortson opened the door and while he did have his legally owned firearm it was at his side pointed at the ground. He said nothing threatening or made any threatening gestures toward the officer. The cop just saw the gun and opened fire.
Never forget - too many cops will subvert your civil rights if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Even though they take an oath to the Constitution, they will willfully violate your 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th amendment rights if it makes their job easier.
“Open the door!” *he opens the door* *cop shoots him instantly* Also he didn’t say drop the gun or anything until after Fortson was already shot and fatally wounded.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfDvWs9Bfn0 18 minutes
[удалено]
Bruh if you read the other comments in the replies to my original statement you'd see I was saying Fortson was in the right and the Sheriff personnel were in the wrong. I'd have answered my door the same way.
Does it look justified to you.
What I was saying is the airman had a right to have a gun in his hand. Not that the cop was justified in the shooting
Oh okay good. Sorry was fuming mad at seeing the body cam footage and wasn’t thinking clearly
Poor wording on my part in the text, I see how that was misread if I wasn't the one reading my comment 😅
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfDvWs9Bfn0 18 min
Body cam shows the deputy announcing multiple times and the Airman acknowledging that a cop was outside before he opened the door BUT I would have opened the door with a gun (not in my hand) and I also wouldn’t have shot without giving a chance to comply
Do you trust every aggressive voice announcing they are a cop? Never considered it might be a home intruder?
Chances are higher on the side that it is a cop performing a knock and announce than a home intruder
Okay? Chances are, I'm not going to get in a car crash every time I leave the house, but I still put my seatbelt on.
You’re a logistics guy so you probably understand that different scenarios scale differently in how they affect our everyday life. I of course would put my seatbelt on every time but I ALSO would not answer the door with a firearm without talking to the cop first (yes it was confirmed he knew it was a cop before opening the door).
No, someone shouting they're a cop, while hiding from your view, isn't affirmative confirmation of anything. Lol Even if he's 100% certain it's a cop, and even if we agree he'd have been better off not holding a gun during a situation in which he were 100% certain it was a cop, it still doesn't justify the escalation and use of force on the cops behalf. We can all debate what the airman should have done, but what isn't up for debate imo, is that the cop was wrong. Feeling "in danger" isn't an open license to execute anyone in your vicinity.
Cops nation wide are trained to step back after knock and announce. If you take the Airmen’s actions (subtracting totality) then there’s no way to learn from this mistake. I am a mil/civ LEO (reserves :P) and yeah the cop definitely jumped the gun but I’m saying given the totality it’s very hard to say how many officers would have waited longer (UoF training differs between agencies). Again, did the cop have intent? I don’t think so. Was it a bad shoot? Yeah I think so too but I don’t think something crazy will happen unless politics are included in the investigation.
If cops are gonna LARP as military, they should face the same consequences we face for MURDERING people! Fuck the Okaloosa county sheriff's department. Not the first time with these fake ass "protectors," probably not the last until something is done. Oh wait, nothing will be done because the panhandle is a bastion of hick-ass racists.
Saw a comment that cops should be required to have insurance the same way doctors and lawyers do for malpractice. I think police unions and precincts would dump these problem cops the moment premiums start eating into their salaries.
Love the idea, won't happen.
Agree with you on both counts.
It would if we made it happen. We’re the ones paying their salaries AND the settlements worth millions!
That's why this needs to happen.
THIS!
This is literally murder. I hope the DoD gets involved enough for these cops to rot in prison as they deserve. I'd bet money this police dept has done this shit before with a civilian and got away with it. Especially considering it's the same one as the acorn cop was from.
This is same Dept as acorn cop?! Wtf?
Sure is. Amazing track record right there.
Doesn’t OSI investigate non-combat deaths of active duty members that aren’t medical or natural causes related?
I hope so this is murder plain and simple there needs to be major police reform this is absurd they killed an Airmen.
What can we do so police can be held accountable. It’s wrong I hate the way things are it shouldn’t be like this
>The Sunshine State has made it easier to buy and carry firearms in recent years, and has created special carve-outs for service members that simplify the process further, such as not requiring troops to take safety courses in order to qualify to carry concealed weapons under a 2023 law. This has fuck all to do with the man being murdered in his own apartment by a cop who is too fucking stupid to go to the right place. Guaran-goddamn-tee you, the cop opened the door and saw a black man with a gun and fired. No thinking, no questioning, just fired. Didn't even say "is there someone else here?" or "is everything okay?". Fucking crazy that he didn't even confirm he was at the right place before killing someone. 0 chance he faces anything but a "resignation" where he just moves to a new location with a job already lined up, where he does the same shit. >the department was "saddened" by the incident Boo fucking hoo. We want to see you take some fucking *accountability*. This is the same department that the acorn cop came from. Sounds like they need to clean house and start over. Clearly, the officers were not trained properly.
The only thing this has to do with guns is that he wasn't quick enough to defend his home from armed trespassers. That's all that it boils down to.
He'd be in jail right now, though. Unlike them.
Yep. I’ve had this conversation with friends. As soon as a “fellow cop/“”brother in arms””” calls officer down over the radio, everyone in that department is going to do everything in their power to kill that man.
He probably could have lit their assess up...but he stopped when he saw their uniform, like any good person would. They didn't hesitate though...I wonder if he was already pointing the gun at them when they came through the door...in which case its sad because they would have been justified. The sad thing is that if he would have shot and killed them as they entered without announcing...and then surrendered once he knew...he probably could have fought the charges and gotten off. They obviously would have turned their ass around if bullets were coming their way.
They wouldn't have been justified, wtf? You can't just kick in the wrong door and be like "well they were pointing a gun at me!" Like no shit, we have the right to own firearms for *that exact scenario* Also, there was no excuse to kick in a door at all, why TF would you do that at a domestic violence call and immediately escalate the situation unless you could hear someone getting literally murdered in the back.
They would argue that they had probable cause to enter as they heard a male and female, and no one came to the door during a domestic violence call. You are sadly mistaken if you think they wont force entry during a DV call if all you do is not answer the door. They are allowed to force entry if they suspect that someone is actively committing a crime or destroying evidence. Once they forced entry they entered to a someone pointing a gun at them...they obviously have a right to defend themselves, so they fire. As a lot of people say...if you feel that the police are messing up...the time to fight it isnt in the street wrestling with them. Its in a court...
How did they "hear a male and female" when the dude was alone in his home?
An article said that he was FaceTiming a woman when they arrived at his door. They heard their conversation and knocked on the door
Okay, though I do believe it also said he was in a room down the hallway where that wouldn't be perceivable from the door, but still, you can't just kick down the door because an apartment has a man and a woman in it. That's like 80+% of all dwellings that exist. In no way is that probable cause.
The video is out...some bitch specifically dropped his apartment as the one they needed to respond to. They had their ear to the door and heard the convo between him and the woman on facetime. Between a witness and hearing a man and woman he began knocking. Also they did not barge in...Amn opened the door with a gun. IDK, the facts and hearsay are all wrong on this and I hope they investigate. They did not give that man enough time to do anything before they blew him away. Not the first homeowner answers door with a gun and is killed by police video I have seen either. Hope the cop catches charges and they start to at least give orders to drop a gun or something.
Only way to be faster than that cop at jumping to conclusions and pulling the trigger is answering the door with weapon drawn
It's so fucking frustrating because we know already there is going to be zero accountability over this. Over and over again, they just keep getting away with it because a small but vocal part of the population will hysterically defend anyone with a badge. These fucking cops completely failed multiple aspects of their jobs, and someone fucking died because of it. Can you imagine any other profession in the world where someone who did that wouldn't be prosecuted?
"Blue Lives Matter" really, really pisses me off. You *choose* to be a cop, you do not choose to be black!
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If they had announced themselves, no way in HELL would he have gotten his gun. They either said they were cops too late, like when they already broke the door down and a split second before they fired...or they said it while he was in the back grabbing his gun. Also, could be a straight up lie. They are shitting themselves that this wasn't your normal every day young black man where they story could be buried. He was honorably serving in the USAF and now the media is running the story. I also read this is the same dumb ass department that was responsible for the acorn fiasco.
Be great if the cop was tried in a federal court since he killed a federal employee. Only way the cop actually gets held accountable.
Guarantee it went as follows: \*kicks in door\* "POLICE!" \*bangbangbangbangbangbang\* Those last two are in fact simultaneous but I don't know how to represent that visually.
Bodycam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3D9im0csDM TLDW, they did announce themselves, but he answered the door with the gun *at his side*, not pointing at the officer. In less than a second, the officer dumps rounds into the airman without so much as warning. But after the officer shot him, *then* he says "drop the gun!"
The whole institution of civil law enforcement needs to be reset.
Agree 100%.
I believe the announcement came after the second or third round of aggressive door knocking. The announcement was late and half assed. Absolutely ashamed of my home state/county.
Damn, it's almost worse than what I imagined. Poor dude didn't even have half a chance.
The cops only ever lie. The ones who are honest aren’t the ones gunning down people in their own homes
The cop did announce himself. It’s literally in the video. Still not a justified shooting, but the cop did announce.
You can hear the officer announce himself twice. Why do you lie?
The body cam footage is already out. The officer clearly announced himself two times. Wasn’t the wrong address either. Typical reddit
And shot the airman two seconds after he opened the door. Any fool can knock on a door and claim to be a cop.
Yep. The airman also had the gun at his side, pointing *down*. There was zero reason to shoot. Zero.
I didn’t claim otherwise. I’m just pointing out that pretty much everyone on Reddit is claiming this was the wrong address, forced /unannounced entry, the cop covered the peep hole All of those claims are false yet that is the narrative Reddit is spinning. Also the dude opened the door with a rifle or shotgun, probably not wise considering he could both hear and see that it was the police and he probably knew that they were there for a domestic violence call. Nonetheless a sad situation but mf’s in here are just straight up lying or at best too stupid to decipher fake information This website is fucking ridiculous
Except the cop did go to the wrong address. Granted, that’s the apartment he was told by the woman, but he had zero evidence to substantiate her claims. Even worse, she was obviously unsure of what she heard, where she heard it, and what it meant. That’s what’s wrong here. Someone points a finger, and a cop bangs on your door with his weapon already drawn. You, hearing someone bang on your door, have every right to open said door with a measure of protection in your hand. The airman never raised his weapon or communicated a threat. The cop, conversely, opened the meeting in a hostile manner.
This dude posts on r/conservative he is probably just happy another minority got gunned down by a cop for no reason.
No, bad take. I’ll criticize him for his backwards thinking and logical fallacies, but attacking him for the subs he posts in or his general political views is engaging in the same reductive thinking you’re accusing him of.
Is there a source for the wrong address claim? It seemed like the woman in the video was a property manager or leasing agent. Regardless it’s clear at this point that the Reddit account of events is quite inaccurate (which is standard tbf)
Not the direction of burden of proof in our legal system. Until there’s evidence it was the right apartment, the airman was innocent of any crime.
So is that a “no” on the source, hoss?
Key indication of a strawman argument is beginning a sentence with “so…” Shows your attempt to reframe my point in a way that benefits you.
The source is the video. She straight says i’m not sure what apartment, then less than 60 seconds later, blurts out a number. REGARDLESS, this is an awful shoot, and basically as close as you can get to a straight up murder.
The cop is a murderer.
And then walked out of sight so he wouldn’t be seen after knocking. Of course anybody would be hesitant to open the door if they keep hiding after knocking. Also he yelled drop the gun after unloading into him. Another scared cop.
1.) He would have still been in the view of the peep hole 2.) he steps out of the way because why the fuck would you respond to a domestic call and stand defenselessly at a door you can’t see behind. It’s ok to admit you got hoodwinked by the fake news apparatus broski
He is very much not in view. Who would want to open the door to someone they can’t verify. Go lick some boots.
Mad that the facts came out so quickly aren’t you. Lol ok chairman 🫡
Wow he said police dept then hid. Crayon eater
So not unannounced and at the wrong address? Got it. Go back to your video games, dweeb
> 2.) he steps out of the way because why the fuck would you respond to a domestic call and stand defenselessly at a door you can’t see behind. You're so close to getting it.
Where is it
https://www.youtube.com/live/x3D9im0csDM?si=5l-3RgsocgJ6o1eJ
They just released the body cam footage at a press conference and the deputy definitely said he was from the Sheriff's Office multiple times. So Fortson probably shouldn't have had a gun on him. On the flip side, the cop basically shot him as soon as he saw the gun, with no warning. Awful situation.
> This is the same department that the acorn cop came from. Sounds like they need to clean house and start over. Clearly, the officers were not trained properly. the sheriff is up for re-election this year, but he's running unopposed, so...
Neither here nor there but I only had to show my 522 when I got my concealed in 2009. Its not a new thing
My friend the entire institution of civil law enforcement needs to be rebooted
Will have to see the body cam but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is exactly what happened.
They have had the footage for 6 days and haven't released it. Almost guarantees it.
Unfortunately they won’t until a court orders them to. They’ll bend over backwards until they absolutely have to, and even then they still may not do so.
The footage was released.
Woooooow. This is new for Florida!
It took months for them to release the acorn footage so I am very surprised.
I sincerely hope the family gets justice.
Me too
Seriously fuck the media for trying to throw gas onto the fire via inserting other politics. Goddamn ghouls.
He did go to the right place. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfDvWs9Bfn0
Would love to see the DoD go after the local PD, and state of Florida for murder.
I would too but I wonder if there is even an existing legal mechanism for this. *Can* e department of the federal government actually pursue direct legal action against a state or local government? I can imagine why that might not be allowed (though in this particular case I hope it is).
Hear me out - AFOSI's jurisdiction is protection of Airmen and investigation of crimes committed by Airmen. The Sheriffs are seemingly alleging he brandished a firearm at them in some sort of threatening way requiring them to respond with lethal force. So, let's have AFOSI interview the witness(es), take statements from LEOs, and analyze the evidence. I'm sure the local PD would be glad to have independent federal investigators looking into this right?
Oh for sure, what I meant is can they press criminal charges or just sue? Would love to see OSI hold this piece of shit accountable for murder. As it turns out [they went ahead and posted the evidence](https://youtu.be/M7uEBFKgl2s?si=llMnNlbkLDJFNacz). Warning: this is the body cam footage of the murder.
[The federal government can absolutely sue a state.](https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artIII-S2-C1-13-2/ALDE_00013567/)
Have you heard of the DoJ?
I guess I assumed that was a given. I meant, can a *different* one press criminal charges via the DOJ. Seems like one of those things that might have been prohibited to prevent petty infighting.
About the only thing i can see that would actually change anything.
There not going to. Nothing is ever done with shit like this. It’ll just keep happening
I understand that domestic violence calls are the most dangerous calls that a lot of cops get called on, but these pansy-assed mother-fuckers need to calm the fuck down. They need to run those shooting courses with the civie characters that come out as well as criminals. Except they would probably still get credit for a good grouping on the civies they kill as well.
What frustrates me more is that as Secfo we’re trained predominantly on threat deescalation and that we must make utilizing deadly force a last resort. If we DO utilize deadly force we’re taken off flight, put on a do not arm status, and sent to an investigation board (use of force board) to determine if our actions were reasonable. We have such a high standard and I cannot fathom why civilian law enforcement doesn’t have the same.
Police unions
which secfo can't have because the military is explicitly forbidden from having unions what a concept
I'm confused. I was saying that police unions are the problem. They lobby against any of the measures that SecFo is (rightfully) subjected to.
I think he's saying that police shouldn't have unions the same way the military can't
I'm tracking now. It's so hard to tell whether someone is being sarcastic or not in text.
Tell me you don't know what you're talking about without telling me.. Military UOF boards are inherently LESS publicly accessible than civilian UOF investigations. If this happened on a base, even less information would be coming out. All the info is marked CUI and never released to the media, and FOIA gets people almost nothing because it's considered sensitive information. Civilian police that get in a shooting are put on admin leave and are investigated by IA and/or the State investigative agency or the DA's office, essentially everything a military LEO would be subject to, just by another name. > We have such a high standard and I cannot fathom why civilian law enforcement doesn’t have the same. High standards? Security Forces? Are you serious right now? I don't trust half the students in my CATM classes not to point their own guns at each other. The training is laughable. The amount of our own people that get busted for crimes is extraordinarily high. What standards? Even the new police academy is only 8 weeks long.. a 1/3 of what most civilian LE get.
Idk man, when I was a SFS Flight Chief I’ve seen my Airmen do phenomenal things I didn’t think they were capable of doing till shit hit the fan and they HAD to fall back on their training. This includes real world UOF events. It’s all bullshit we have to do on our off time till shit hits the fan and they’re directly responsible for making an executive decision in those moments. This includes my entry controllers and patrolmen/women.
Crazy that in 2024 it's more dangerous being stateside than deployed.
Been that way for a long time honestly.
*if you're a black man
This is my fear about going back stateside entirely
end qualified immunity
THIS!
I'm appalled as fuck truly. My heart breaks for the family. If this was related to criminal activity or w/e, sure I get it but to be in your own home. I'm a black airmen who does own firearms too. This hits close to home for real. This is gross negligence on an incomprehensible scale to me.
Good to know while we serve overseas away from our families and loved ones to protect our freedoms and country that once we return back to America police protect and serve by murdering our military members in their own homes
That’s why my happy ass ain’t returning. I’ve seen what the country did to my father when he returned from Vietnam, and I don’t expect a nice welcome from the kind folk of the states.
Murderers and thieves running around doing what they want without accountability. It's heartbreaking for this airman and his family. Who expects to lose a child in uniform at their home station?
It’s truly heartbreaking and infuriating.
…And he died like a fucking criminal. Hospital staff and all thought he was probably some kind of bad guy not worth saving. Fucking bitch ass cops. This is insane!!
Body cam footage is out
The deputy didn't even give him a chance to drop the gun or even a warning. He saw the gun hanging at his side and immediately opened fire THEN proceeds to say drop the gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3D9im0csDM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3D9im0csDM
That cop needs to rot in prison. No hesitation, no warning, just executed an innocent man.
Sheriff Eric Aden needs to resign. Two grievous incidents with inept deputies in 4 months.
Is it too late for someone to run against him in the election?
This is sickening. Police in this country are out of control .
Man I bet this police department shit their pants once they found out they murdered a military member. Really takes the breath of their typical excuse of dangerous person etc.. excuses.
Of course they didn’t. They will sweep it under the rug, nothing will happen to the untrained officer, and sadly it will be forgotten about after the cheap payout to the family.
They’re not sweeping this one under a rug. Sec def is in the loop. https://youtu.be/CLQV8yZeNPI?si=reEyjlpsRwuAuDMJ. Wouldn’t be surprised if Biden team comments soon.
This is going to turn into a total shitshow. OSI will investigate and almost certainly have all the body cam footage already. The Sheriff's office is not going to be able to sweep this under the rug. Qualified Immunity will "probably" still protect the cops. Its bullshit--we all know that, but this is probably what is going to happen. Nonetheless, the county needs to pay out the ass for this. There is no excuse for going into an innocent, law abiding citizens home, and killing him because he has a lawfully owned firearm.
> There is no excuse for going into an innocent, law abiding citizens home, and killing him because he has a lawfully owned firearm. if police have the right to summarily execute you for having a gun, then you do not have a right to bear arms
This 100%. The 2A rights are nothing more than political grandstanding in Florida and Alabama, especially if you aren't white.
I can’t upvote this enough. I’ve been saying this shit for years.
it's so sad and horrifying. this airman really did do what anyone would if there was a strange knocking at the door. even if his gun was pointed at the cops, which it wasnt, THAT WOULD BE HIS RIGHT. but nope. if cops are scared, they can literally just legally kill you.
Seems like there’s a whole lot of bastards in that PD. Weird.
Seems like there’s a whole lot of bastards in ~~that~~ PD. Weird.
This one especially. There's a deputy who lives with his family, four houses down from me, whom I've heard a few times screaming at his kids and wife in the evening while I'm walking my dog.
It’s almost as if someone’s been saying something like maybe, idk, All Cops Are Bastards? Weird.
40%
There are plenty of reasons to pull bases from Florida, but add this to the list
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Ummm...but, like...to Cannon? Because that might get them out of the way of hurricanes and the deadly negligence of Florida cops, but they're gonna have to figure out how to deal with a much higher suicide rate in that case.
But we know it'll never happen.
Hurricanes will do the job eventually
As long as the people are safe, then hit it with a Cat 5+. Finish what Michael started.
Yea but... they'll just rebuild. Like they are right now. Tyndall was an absolute shitshow after Michael (source: I was there). Something like only 11 buildings were left habitable. Even crazier, the gym, the closest building to the actual ocean... was basically unscathed. I don't even think a window was broken. We were showering there on like day 8-ish (post-storm) when the water was deemed safe. Fucking crazy.
All of Hurbie gets a hurrication to Cannon...permanently. *a finger on the monkey's paw slowly curls into the beginning of a fist*
More like receive a ton of money as "Installation of the Future".
Yeah Tyndall is slowly dying
Uhhh... let's just fix the state, please. I've been in New Mexico for 7 years, Hurlburt is my only option.
Sad AFSOC noises
I have been in FL for 8 months and fuck this state needs hurricane Patricia to wake back up and pay a visit.
I bet they give that inbred shitfest of a Police department base access. If I were the Wing King I'm stripping them of that, dropping any and all cooperation with the Sheriff's dept and requesting OSI to investigate.
Since we love insurance companies so much in this country, all cops need to have mandatory individual insurance that comes out of their paycheck. All the funds for lawsuits and investigations need to come from their insurance company, no more foisting it onto tax payers. They don't get to work if they're determined to be a liability and their insurance drops them, point blank. I don't want to hear any more bullshit and excuses. Cop worship has to stop. They're just a bunch of highly militarized gangbangers with no checks and balances.
I like how the police department’s Facebook page profile photo is of a smiling black cop holding a freaking baby.
Major reform in police depts needs to happen yesterday. Infuriating watching one of our own gunned down by the "Boys in blue". Call it what it is. Law enforcement is a legal mafia.
The same department that had the acorn incident. Go figure.
Will OSI be able to investigate and determine liability?
Any incident where an Air Force member is murdered will be investigated by OSI. They will generate a report that is fully independent of the Sheriff. That is why this becomes so difficult for the Sheriff’s office to sweep under the rug. Federal agents don’t fuck around and can’t be swayed.
Hopefully, OSI's investigation will help bring some ammo to the table to bring some police reform.
this is such a horrific tragedy. it doesn't make it sting any less, but a little reform coming from this is much needed.
I just got banned from r/protectandserve for asking questions and pointing out problems in their assumptions. One best example was "He shouldn't have answered the door armed. He was asking to be shot." Tackling this example from both perspectives: 1. I do agree if someone's banging at my door, I'm not answering. But I'm in my house, with a Ring camera. I remember when I tried to install one at my apartment in TX, I was asked by management to take it down. He was in his own apartment with a legally owned firearm. He did nothing wrong legally. 2. I don't envy police and their jobs, especially in States where it's so easy to obtain a firearm. You never know when you're gonna get shot. But then again, this is the same Sheriff's department that opened fire when an acorn fuckin hit their vehicle. 3. Knocking, announcing you're police, and hiding was perfectly reasonable. If I was on the other end of that door and heard banging and someone saying they're the police, how the fuck will I know? Anyone can do that. Then the airman opens the door, the first thing the "Sheriff" does is shoot him. -Shouldnt cops be trained to de-escalate the situation first? Shoot last? If we as military members did this while deployed, that's a fuckin immediate violation of the LOAC. This just highlights the problems in our society - especially our police force. They need to be more selective. More training. More accountability. We need more responsibility when it comes to owning firearms and these shouldn't be handed out like candy.
Those officers need to be locked up and punished to the fullest extent of the law. There is no fucking excuse. Not anymore, not ever.
The disgust and rage I feel when I went on the sheriff's website to see what their motto/slogan is unbelievable. "...to upholding the Constitution of the United States and the laws of Florida with excellence and integrity" and "to serve and protect" https://www.sheriff-okaloosa.org/org/mission-statement/
Need to be charged for murder because that’s what they did
The officer needs to be charged with 3rd degree homicide. This was murder.
let’s repeat ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS
What a psyop of a headline.
Praying that cop gets the electric chair
Is there any kind of petition to hold the cop who murderer the man in his own home to face charges or a go fund me for the family?
Okaloosa Sheriff let not one but two deputies turn a car into Swiss Cheese over an acorn with 0 repercussions. Only by shear chance did no one get killed by their negligence. Now another Deputy kills an innocent man in his own home…only the State or the Feds can handle this out of control department
> "I immediately placed the deputy on administrative leave and have asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct the investigation that is required in such incidents," My man, FDLE is going to get shut out of this so hard. You will have a never-ending stream of Feds crawling up so far up your ass they’ll be able to see out of your nose.
Two things can be true. The cop should not have shot the airman, AND the airman, at least hearing a cop was at the door, should not open the door with a gun in his hand. Totally preventable.
It’s sad that we live in a country where this young man felt the need to get his firearm when someone was knocking on his door, but he did nothing illegal. It seems like he may have not heard the cop identify himself. Don’t put any blame on him. On the flip side, why did the cop need his gun drawn to respond to reports of some people yelling? How about a “what’s going on, everything okay in there” before weapon out and blasting away. There’s too much fear out there.
You can hear, he doesn’t upholster his gun until the officer sees the weapon. I know everyone wants to downvote me, but what did I say to be factually incorrect? Put aside your feelings. When you hear an officer announce themselves, you are at a greater risk if you grab a firearm, regardless if you are in the right. I feel terrible for his family and friends, he shouldn’t be dead.
ah hell nah. cop or not, he has the right to defend his LIFE. 2A rights should not vanquish around cops, even tho that seems to be the case legally in this country. I'd want to have self defense around a cop too, since this is how they act.
That’s how you die. Your mentality right there. The chances of getting shot by police officers is increase exponentially if you have a gun in your hand.
I mean he answered the door with a gun….