Crime
Funeral arrangements for Roger Fortson, a black member of the United States Air Force murdered in his home by a Florida deputy
STONECREST, Ga. (AP) – A funeral will likely be held Friday for a Black U.S. Air Force senior airman who was shot and killed in his Florida home by a sheriff’s deputy, a day after the decorated soldier’s mother married in an emotional news conference to hunt justice for her son.
Roger Fortson’s service will likely be held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Stonecrest. He grew up in the area before joining the Air Force. The 23-year-old was a senior airman who had served in overseas combat zones and was stationed at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle when he was shot and killed by a police deputy responding to a domestic violence call.
During Thursday’s news conference, an attorney for Fortson’s family pointed to police radio and body camera footage that he said showed the deputy went to the incorrect apartment.
The airman’s mother, Meka Fortson, spoke enthusiastically about how her son was all the time on target, never in trouble or showing signs of violence.
“Roger was light. There was no stain on his name. He won’t be buried in darkness because he was light,” she said during a press conference.
She also had a message for Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden: “You’re going to give me justice whether you want it or not, Sheriff Aden,” she said.
The deputy, whose name has not been released, shot Fortson six times on May 3 inside moments of Fortson responding to a knock and opening the door to his apartment while holding a gun pointed at the ground.
Sheriff’s officials say a sheriff’s deputy acted in self-defense when responding to a call about a possible domestic disturbance occurring at an apartment complex.
The Fortson family and their attorney, Ben Crump, argue that the shooting was completely unjustified, claiming that Roger Fortson was home alone with his girlfriend at the time via FaceTiming and that the deputy went to the incorrect unit.
Aden denied allegations that the deputy went to the incorrect apartment, claiming at a May 9 news conference that he was aware of comments that “falsely state that our deputy went to the wrong apartment.”
Two weeks after the shooting, the sheriff has yet to release the incident report, any 911 records or the officer’s identity, despite requests for information under Florida’s Open Records Act.
A gradual stream of mourners attended Thursday’s wake at Fortson, including some who didn’t know the family. Among them was Conseulla Childs from nearby Lithuania, who said she hated to see such young people lose their lives.
“I can only imagine getting the call saying you need to bury your child and get him home by the scheduled time,” she said. “It’s just heartbreaking to hear news like this, so I just wanted to come and pay my respects.”
Charles Dorsey, from nearby Decatur, arrived wearing a hat that read “U.S. Air Force Vietnam Veteran.”
“I was looking at the news and saw what happened… and it reminded me of when I was in the Air Force. In fact, he had the same rank as me when I was in the Air Force,” Dorsey said. “I wanted to put on my Air Force hat and show respect to the family.”
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Radio transmissions from police during Thursday’s news conference support the family’s claim that the deputy can have gone to the incorrect apartment. In the recording, the dispatcher said the only thing they knew about the disturbance was “third-party information.”
“Uh, I don’t have anything other than a male and a female,” the dispatcher told officers. “This is all third-party information from the front desk of the rental office.”
Crump also pointed to 2 excerpts from the deputy’s bodycam video in which the deputy asks a woman leading him around the complex, “Which door?” The woman replied, “Hmm… I’m not sure.” Seconds later, she told the deputy that she had heard the static two weeks earlier but “wasn’t sure where it was coming from.”
Bodycam video shows the deputy arriving at a Fort Walton Beach apartment complex and talking to a woman outside who described hearing an argument. The deputy then took the elevator and walked through the outside hallway.
The video shows a police deputy banging on the door and moving to the side, seemingly out of sight of the door. He shouted twice, “Sheriff’s office! Open the door!”
Fortson, who was legally in possession of a firearm, opened the door with his gun pointed toward the floor. The deputy shouted, “Stand back!” after which shot Fortson six times. Only then did he shout: “Drop your weapon! Drop your weapon!” The deputy then radioed for paramedics.
Crump said Fortson was talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime and grabbed his gun because he heard someone leaving his apartment. The deputy then forced his way into the apartment, he said, citing the account of the girl, who has not yet been identified.
The case is one of many across the country in which law enforcement officers have shot and killed black people in their homes.
Crump, a outstanding civil rights activist, said the family wouldn’t allow the case to be forgotten or hidden.
“We must hold them accountable. If we do not do it, they will not do anything,” he said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating and the deputy has been placed on administrative leave.
A form of shrine has emerged in front of Fortson’s apartment, where people have left behind combat boots, bouquets of flowers and an American flag, amongst other things.
Fortson was stationed at Hurlburt Field near Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was a gunner aboard an AC-130J and won the Air Medal for combat device, which will likely be awarded after completing 20 sorties in a combat zone or for conspicuous valor or achievement in a single mission.
He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special mission aviator, where one of his roles was loading a gunship’s 30mm and 105mm guns.
Crime
Family of Texas Teen, accused of a deadly stab of another teenager on the track, collected over $ 150,000 via the online fundraiser
The collection of money for a teenager accused of a deadly stabbing of another teenager during a meeting at the Texas track last week has almost USD 200,000.
Launched by the family of Carmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old from Texas, who’s accused of stabbing Austin Metcalf, also 17, during an intensive meeting between them, Dajndo Fundraiser reached USD 160,000 from Monday morning.
According to Anthony’s lawyer, Deric Walpole, his client demands self -defense on this matter. Talking with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth On Friday, other than the prison, wherein Anthony was detained, Walpole said: “I know that my client said it was a self -defense. I have no reason not to believe it, but I have to develop facts, talk to people and find out what is happening before I made some statements about what I think.”
He added: “I have no reason to think that it was not a self -defense at the moment.”
On Wednesday, April 2, around 10 am local time, it’s claimed that Anthony stabbed Metcalf after Metcalf asked to depart a specific area during the rain delay at a sports event at the Kuykeyndall stadium in Frisco, in accordance with the NBC Dalls-Fort value. Anthony, a competitor in a competitive team, apparently sat under the tent of the Metcalf team to avoid rainfall when Metcalf asked him to depart. When Anthony didn’t follow Metcalf in order that he wouldn’t touch him, allegedly Metcalf caught Anthony’s arm, leaning Anthony, using a knife from a backpack to stab Metcalf in his chest from escaping.
Metcalf suffered a stinging wound in his heart and was recognized as deceased at the scene of the incident, despite the attempts to save lots of his twin brother.
“I put my hand on (his chest), tried to stop (bleeding), grabbed his head and looked into his eyes. I just saw his soul. And this also took my soul,” said Twin Hunter Metcalfa Fox News.
Anthony was arrested and accused of killing the first degree, and is currently being detained in the Collin County prison for a bond of USD 1,000,000, which his lawyer is trying to cut back. He hopes to interrogate bonds this week.
Teenager Apparently he said the police“It is not alleged, I did it” that he was lively in self -defense and asked if Metcalf can be tremendous. Anthony’s father said The New York Post That his son was “provoked”.
“He was not an aggressor. He was not the one who started him,” said Andrew Anthony, adding: “Everyone has already adopted their assumptions about my son, but he is not what they make him.”
He explained that his son was a “good child” who works two works and maintains 3.7 GPs.
“I feel sorry for other parents and family, and words cannot explain how both (families) affected this tragedy,” he noted.
The online collection of money causes “false” narratives circulating after the consequence.
“The widespread narrative is false, unfair and harmful. As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all your support in this difficult period. Your prayers and help mean more for us than ever,” we read a fundraiser.
Collecting money on Gofundme In the case of family costs and Metcalf’s funeral, they brought 95% of their goal.
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Richmond, Virginia – June 12: photo of George Floyd expected to the statue of confederate general Robert Lee on June 12, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. Last week, the governor of Virginia Ralph Northam ordered the removal of Lee’s general statue as soon as possible, but court proceedings temporarily stopped these plans. Protests proceed in cities across the country after the death of George Floyd, who died in police detention in Minneapolis on May 25. (Photo eze amos/getty images)
Giving police departments equipment to military class does not reduce crime or increase safety based on two independent research. Studies appear in the course of the ongoing conversation concerning the importance of “rejecting the police” as a method.
IN “Police demilitarization and brutal crime“, Kenneth Lwande, a professor on the University of Michigan, questioned the claim that the military weapon exchange program reduced the crime rate, assaulting police officers and the variety of complaints towards police officers.
Finding problems in previously published data Lwande focused on the information available after ordering the Obama administration from 2015, required to demlate local police agencies. Answering public indignation after exposing the militarized police in Ferguson, Obama’s administration Forbade some Sales of military equipment to the police as a part of the controversial program 1033. Trump’s administration reversed this policy in 2017.
IN interview In the case of ABC, Lwande explained that earlier research found that the transfer of military equipment to police plots served as deterrent. But from his evaluation, evidence does not confirm such conclusions. “It’s just not an accurate record,” said Lwande. “[Prior studies] They clearly suggested that by transferring military police equipment, he would stop criminals from committing crimes. “
Published in the character of human behavior, London magazine, research emphasizes the reaper of Trump’s administration on potentially “unbelievable” data when making decisions about withdrawing restrictions from Obama’s time. After assessing previous research, Lipowde found that publicly published data utilized in previous studies were filled with inaccuracies. Earlier evaluation did not control the equipment that was transferred between agencies, unused or otherwise inoperable. In addition, Lwande did not find any evidence that the demilitarizing law enforcement authorities led to an increase in crime.
Program 1033, managed by the Defense Logistics Agency, is one in every of several ways through which law enforcement authorities acquire military assessment equipment. Established in 1997 as a part of the Act on authorization for national defense, is estimated Program 1033 has transferred over $ 7 billion in military equipment into $ 8,000 across the country. The program was originally created for the forces of “counteracting terrorism”, but later prolonged to cover all of the activities of law enforcement agencies.
Covering with the national uprisings this summer, several members of the Chamber introduced laws to eliminate the 1033 program in June. The Black Lives movement also published Act Breathe Act, a comprehensive legislative proposal, including financing specific politicians and the abolition of the police. Section I of the proposed respiratory act requires the opening of the 1033 program in its entirety.
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