500 signatures reached
To: We are calling for Ron DeSantis to recall Okaloosa County's Sheriff Eric Aden.
Accountability for the Murder of Senior Airman Roger Fortson
We, the undersigned, are calling for Governor Ron DeSantis to recall Sheriff Eric Aden from his role in the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. As permitted in Article IV, section 7(a), of the State Constitution, the Governor is authorized to suspend any state officer not subject to impeachment on any of the following grounds: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or commission of a felony.
We find the handling of Sr. Airman Roger Fortson’s case under Eric Aden to be especially grievous.
Why is this important?
Roger’s mother, Chantemekki Fortson, was contacted to travel from Georgia to Okaloosa County after the killing. En route, she was told Roger was in surgery. It wasn’t until she was escorted into a heavily guarded room that she was then informed that Roger had been killed. At this point, Roger’s body had already been transferred to a neighboring city for an autopsy. This was done without the consent of his mother or the United States Air Force. Additionally, Okaloosa County provided an invalid search warrant, signed by a judge, for Roger’s possessions addressed to a completely incorrect name, “Jameica Fortson,” meant for Ms. Chantemekki Fortson.
This was only the beginning of Okaloosa County’s negligence and the lack of care that should have been granted to Roger and his family.
Adding to the lack of humanity afforded to Sr. Airman Roger Fortson, the initial public statement from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s office, characterized the killing as an act of “self-defense.” Whereas the body cam footage and further investigation found that Sr. Airman Roger Fortson posed no threat to Deputy Eddie Duran. After more investigation, Aden is quoted saying, “The objective facts do not support the use of deadly force as an appropriate response to Mr. Fortson’s actions.”
Initial information provided to the public regarding cases such as this should be carefully considered before it is released to prevent false narratives from spreading. We demand full accountability and the recall of Sheriff Eric Aden from the Okaloosa County office. We fear that direction such as his can lead to more false and dangerous narratives of a marginalized community that may lead to more violence. What these actions under Eric Aden have shown us is that there is a lack of professionalism and respect in regards to human life under his leadership.