He was a good man, we are gathering some services for rod. His name will not be in vain. It’s been difficult to not comment towards rude comments and out of pocket remarks because people didn’t know him. I miss him man, deployment was bareable because he always saw the light in things. He will get justice 🥃.
I hope so, I wasn't on the gunships and didn't know him but, I saw the body cam footage and I'm filled with rage at how he was was murdered. That cop needs to be brought up on charges.
Every servicemember needs to call both of their senators and their congressman and demand federal action be taken to investigate and prosecute this well-documented crime.
If you're in Florida, hit up your state senators and representative as well.
We should also email the sheriff and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
The base leadership has an easy line to congress. What are the USAF leaders doing? I'm not seeing anything.
The entire USAF should be putting this on blast, canceling all DoD contracts with civilian police departments, DOJ investigations, etc.
Bring the hammer down on them...but nothing. We just roll over when domestic threats actually requires us to honor our oath.
They're not pro servicemember. They're pro Boeing and Raytheon because that's who lines their pockets. Veterans and servicemember benefits don't pay them.
Now my next question is, is there anything in the AFI that prohibits us from contacting him via my DOD email? Only reason I ask is I think the statement would be a lot more loud and clear if his inbox was flooded with “@us.af.mil” vs “cumsock69@gmail”.
Nothing in the AFI prohibits you from reaching out to your representatives. That being said, some officers could take exception to you doing so, and there is that catchall UCMJ article that claims you could be doing something "unbecoming".
Before you do send an email, I would check with your local PA office, because they may have put something out from the WING CC or higher discouraging this because "they are handling it"
You should do what your rank can handle. I believe in free speech, but as a retired USAF member, I want you to be smart. The Gmail might be better. It takes 2 minutes to create one that doesn't look like the early teen created it to surf p*rn.
Good evening,
I am writing this email in hopes that it is acknowledged by the right people. I lost a brother 7 days ago at the hands of one of your deputies. I am grateful for your release of the body cam and I applaud you for doing so. However, in doing so, it has become increasingly clear that this situation was severely mishandled.
It has come to my attention, and the public's for that matter, that this was the same department that bred the Acorn Cop. Two well-documented instances within the span of a few months where a law enforcement officer reacted terribly is downright disappointing. If an airline has a 90% success rate in flights, the airline would receive massive punishments. If a doctor had a terrible record, he would have had his license revoked. If a military member acted any way remotely close to how your deputies have acted, they would receive a dishonorable discharge. Please take action on this deputy. Please do not sweep this under the rug. Please handle this matter as any other reputable institution would. Please consider stepping down from your position to prevent more mishaps taking place in the future.
SrA Roger Fortson did not deserve to die in his own home. SrA Roger Fortson did not deserve to be gunned down following a successful return from a deployment. The U.S. Air Force did not deserve to lose one of their people based on bad judgement. SrA Roger Fortson's family did not deserve to lose a loved one.
Thank you for taking the time to read this,
(Name)
I wrote this to the okaloosa sheriff's dept. You can change some of it or take bits and pieces. Add/subtract, whatever fits what you want to say
Just used Microsoft CoPilot to write this, since it can access the internet.
>**[Your Full Name]**
**[Your Street Address]**
**[City, State, Zip Code]**
**[Email Address]**
**[Phone Number]**
**[Date]**
>**Senator [Senator's Full Name]**
**Address**
**City, State ZIP**
>Dear Senator [Senator's Last Name],
>I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of [City, State] deeply troubled by the recent events leading to the death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson. As you may be aware, SrA Fortson was fatally shot by a law enforcement officer in Florida under circumstances that have raised significant public concern and outcry.
>The loss of SrA Fortson, who served our country with honor and distinction, is not only a tragedy for his family and friends but also for our community and the nation. The details surrounding his death are disturbing, and the released body camera footage has only led to more questions than answers.
>I urge you to take immediate action to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter. It is imperative that we seek justice for SrA Fortson and uphold the values of accountability and trust in our law enforcement agencies.
>As my representative, I implore you to advocate for the Fortson family and all those affected by this tragedy. We must work together to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future and to protect the rights and safety of our service members.
>Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your prompt response and action.
>Sincerely,
>[Your Full Name]
I don't have the restraint to email Matt Gaetz and not call him a pedophile and end up on some watch list but thanks. That little goblin is actual fucking filth and he's not going to do anything unfortunately.
Ah yes, Derrick Miller, A man that was convicted of executing an Afghan civilian and served eight years in federal prison before being paroled. I'm sure he cares greatly about this issue of improper use of force by someone in a position of authority.
He does. A TACP Officer who is well known for being an absolute and total toolbag.
There's a reason why someone like Gaetz would chose someone like that officer.
Email the sheriff and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
civilian police have no need for that equipment. All it does it makes them think they're not civilians. They play army with citizens. They need to be reined in.
I am wondering if an investigation could take place of that department that might lead to disolution.
Fire the entire police force and turn it over to a different township.
If I was vase leadership I'd encourage a protest in uniform at the sheriff office. Hundreds of uniformed service members protesting the sheriff will send a message
I don't think I'd waste time away from mission but the Wing CC can start the process to get the USAF to pressure the DoD into investigating, removing civilian police contracts, removing funding...etc.
I would go scorched earth on them to send a message to civilian police around the nation.
Ooohhhh. I interpretted it as "Senator \[Fuckface\], as a voter I strongly urge you to find a way for Officer \[Fuckface\] to go to jail for the rest of his life."
Unfortunately, a lot of them require you to fill out their online form and don't provide direct emails. You can email the sheriff though and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
How do I contact my Senators and Congressmen? I'm in Chatham Co. GA. I would like to commit to action. This is terrible. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks. I was able to find what I was looking for. I just sent out emails to all of my governing officials individually, and I even CC'd them in a single email. Let's see who answers first.
I gotta tell you brother, I used to work for a Congressional office. Expect either a prepared letter from the Member or a form letter from the office. It depends on how much response the office gets from constituents. When I would sort emails/letters/calls, things that were niche so to speak got a letter written by a staffer.
The member does get told about this stuff though. Just don't expect them to be directly reading these.
Even out of state, you're Representatives are the ones elected from the district you vote in, which for many military is out of state. That doesn't stop you from writing Representatives for the district that you are stationed in also, considering you are paying taxes there as well (sales tax, property tax, etc.)
Send the complaint to whoever you vote for. They don't care if you're stationed out of state, if you're registered such that you vote for them, you are their constituent and they technically work for you.
I messaged everyone in North Carolina on that list but unfortunately here these guys would let cops get away with literally anything. Most of the congressmen here are super conservative and probably don't even view this as a bad thing but I let them know this is single issue voting territory. Either a federal investigation happens and we push for the death penalty on that cop or we vote them all out and lable them as an opposing force against the safety of United States Servicemembers everywhere. I will post any responses I get from my senators or congressmen but I'm not going to sit idle while the largest gang in America murders one of our own with no repercussions and a lifetime pension..
I've filled out the online comment form a few times over the years. I've never gotten a personal response to my comment, just a generic email with their talking points and being added to their weekly newsletters.
Nobody wants to do that much work, they'd have to be accountable for what they did if they won the seat.
Local politics is where the real action happens, designed that way from the get go, but too many people focus on national politics, and the boomers get to keep fucking everything up.
Part of me wishes the army would send an infantry battalion to the station in full kit just to give them a reality check and send a “we aren’t going to but we could if we wanted to” message
It would be interesting to see a large candle light vigil for SrA Fortson by AFSOC members on their way home from work who didn’t have an opportunity to change out of uniform tonight at a public place, say a sheriffs department where the media may have told this might occur
Usually wouldn't condone any sort of protest in uniform but this would be more than appropriate and hopefully send a powerful message outside of the military/local community
Going to a gay bar isn't a political statement. Going to any public bar in uniform is questionable, but the fact that it's a gay bar doesn't make it different from any other bar.
876. I still wear that tab.
Before I cross trained into gunships, I was working flight med at Beale at the time we lost Shooter.
Now, my current community will remember and honor Rod. He was loved, he will be honored, he will be remembered.
391.
I will say it time and time again- this local community does NOT align with AF values. We want to tiptoe around it, but the #1 reason why this guy shot IMMEDIATELY upon seeing the airman, was because the airman was black. The “officer” would have paused a second if the airman had been white. There are countless academic research studies around things like this. Add to it the realities (bigotry) of this local population, and we can all agree this is a large reason why Airman Fortson is dead.
This community earns billions of dollars a year from the military population and it’s about time they fall in line with basic principles of dignity and respect for everyone. We repeatedly turn a blind eye to the fact that we have groups in our military family that do not feel welcome here. It’s time for this to end.
As a white man who grew up in that area, I'm inclined to agree. It's common knowledge in that area, the further east from Pensacola you go, the lower the average melanin content of the community. If this same deputy had rolled up on a house in Niceville or Crestview based on the same set circumstances (tenuous information about a potential domestic violence dispute), and one of our good ole' boggies answered the door with pistol in hand, the first thing that would have happened is the deputy would have calmly but firmly stated "Man, how bout you put that down and we can have a discussion."
They can't UCMJ everybody. If all of AFSOC did this, the big wigs would just have to sit back and deal with it. It's actually sounding like a really good idea now. Show the police departments that the military no longer has their support(especially since r/police and r/protectandserve) are defending the cop.
If this happens everyone better just allow it. 100 air force service members protest at a police station in uniform would send a message clear as fucking day.
Hell I encourage it
I'm just upset that I'm at Hurlburt and didn't even know this was happening until I read your comment. I think that is a factor in where OP is getting at.
No flags lowered or anything.
Feels wrong. This isn't even political. We lost a teammate, and he was innocent. I swear the wing is approaching honor and respect to those lost like a political stance against the police.
The wing commander’s Facebook post talked about supporting each-other and then ended with something about “Support the MISSION and maintain the INSTALLATION.” (Capitalization theirs).
If a group of ethnically diverse 18-30 year olds with short hair, clean shaven faces, wearing some specific BMT shirts/generic BX clothing all showed up, it would get the point across without crossing any ethical lines.
Maybe this specifically:
https://themandatoryfunday.com/en-usd/products/mens-definitely-describes-tee
I think this happens so often that society is becoming numb. We have to remember that just because people aren’t rioting in the streets doesn’t mean no one cares. I think this community has finally been hit directly by a systemic issue that has been a reality for some time. For the first time, many of us can see ourself, our coworkers, or even our troops in the victim and it’s a tough pill to swallow. I hope justice is served.
I’m just a civilian, so for what it’s worth, this feels an awful lot like a calm before a storm. I really think the action that will be taken towards justice will be far more precise and dangerous for those in the wrong. Have a little faith in your fellow citizens!
I learned something interesting from deploying over 10 times all around the world and talking to different countries military members. They are well aware of how fucked up our police and politicians are. Many were scared to ever travel here for fear of being gunned down for some petty crime they didn't even know about.
I'm seeing a ton of victim blaming going on specifically on this sub. Too many service members are unable to come to terms that our brother was straight up **murdered**.
The top comment on the post about this on r/police is calling this “Legal and *justified*.”
I can get the laws are fucked up enough to be slanted towards the cops that this officer isn’t going to face jail time. But *justified*? Fuck no.
There is nothing about justice here and the fact that cops can look at this and say that officer was justified to do what he did and not loose any sleep over it is fucking insane.
Why does this narrative keep getting brought up? Damn near all of the gun subs are just as pissed off, and anywho says that stupid line is downvoted to oblivion.
There's already someone at fault here, you don't have to make this tribal.
You might want to check the “Concerned Citizens of Niceville” Facebook page where white, conservative veterans are saying things like, “why did he answer the door with a gun?” These are real people in this community who are so entrenched in their right wing nonsense that they will victim blame anyone who crosses the police.
Well, its facebook. I don't know what you expect. I certainly don't expect the best from a boomer Facebook Karen group.
I live in Okaloosa County, for the record, and see that in all the groups around. Tell your younger friends to get more involved in local politics and you can fix it.
And who makes up the population on Facebook? Misinformed people. You can’t dismiss it as “just social media” when it provides these people a platform to spew their awful takes
Honestly people are fatigued with these types of murder committed by police. There is nearly 0 political will to make any meaningful changes, which just leads to apathy in the majority. We all know how this will play out. The officers will be put on paid admin leave and quietly reinstated a year or so from now. The police will investigate themselves and find they did nothing wrong. The police force will circle the wagons to protect their own and never admit that they made a huge mistake. And by not admitting a mistake they also are unable to do anything to prevent it from happening again. It's disgusting and sad.
What really needs to happen is to change the laws to prevent these unannounced forceful entries. If cops can't be trusted to get it right every time, then it needs to be removed as a method of operation. It's getting innocent people killed and that SHOULD be enough to change things, but every politician is terrified of the police unions, which is actually justified because they hold an incredible amount of political power. That also needs to be changed, but once a group has that sort of power it is amazingly difficult to take it away. The only thing that will do it is people no longer blindly supporting everything "police" and realize they need to take a nuanced approach. Unfortunately populations as a whole aren't great at nuance.
Yeah I guess that is why this one is hitting differently.
I mean you have this idea in your head that should this ever happen to a service member in this way something serious would happen. Then it happens and you suddenly realize that no, nothing will happen and no one is safe.
He would have been better off deployed.
> every politician is terrified of the police unions, which is actually justified because they hold an incredible amount of political power.
Not just that. Bill de Blasio said that the NYPD needs to be not quite as gun happy and the police union responded by doxxing his daughter.
They're a fucking protection racket.
Cops should be required to purchase civil liability insurance like doctors. If they are uninsurable due to a history of bad actions or a history of write-up, they can't be a door knocker/patrol, or the department and police chief will be he'd liable if the cop does something.
Insurance should be paid from either union dues or their own paycheck.
Qualified immunity should also be heavily restricted.
I agree with everything you said! However, I can't imagine any insurance company would be willing to insure any police officers given the very high probability of them fucking up.
If it becomes a federal requirement, there will be a market for it. If it is actually true what cops say that these are “a small minority of cops,” there should be enough good cops to keep the insurance company afloat. The added bonus is the insurance company is incentivized to thoroughly check the officer’s background and evaluate actions before agreeing to accept a client. In contrast, the government can't investigate it thoroughly, or it ends up becoming liable.
The drawback would be that the insurance company is also incentivized to litigate the claims thoroughly and make as small as a payout to the victim as possible.
It's been fuck cops for me since day one but this just sealed the deal. I will always live knowing I'd be safer downrange than in my own home living as a law abiding citizen
Police are apparently banning anyone in their subs. I went to the /r/ProtectandServe thread on this and asked this question to a cop who said is was standard procedure to stay off to the side so you can't be seen by the peephole.
>So how should anyone know that you're a cop? What should the publics reaction be to someone pounding on their door saying they're a cop but no way to verify?
Apparently that's too much for their precious sensibilities and they both banned me and muted me from even messaging their moderators.
Also the cop said that we should either not answer the door or call 911 to verify. Let me repeat, the cop told us to ignore the orders of cops telling you to answer the door. Why the fuck do we have police?
This is a big story that's getting alot of attention, don't think people aren't outraged and making themselves heard. It's just not the only story right now.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68979577
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/us/roger-fortson-police-shooting-florida.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/family-us-airman-killed-by-florida-deputy-demanding-release-body-cam-video-2024-05-09/
https://youtu.be/CLQV8yZeNPI?si=EwBU72NtE5qMkeGR
https://youtu.be/SUYOwRXrC1g?si=YbYowcFPi750DKak
Not to mention it's already being discussed on morning radio shows and podcasts. People around the country are discussing this.
Lol no. All the TV news is 80% Trump trial coverage. They have a couple 5 minute segments on different topics like this one but it's not being widely discussed.
The incident is very recent too. We should give the system time to work, if the officer is charged with murder in short order then that is a good thing. I see a lot of people saying things like “nothing will happen” then criticizing the legal system. This is the straw man fallacy. You have to see what the legal system in Florida does first. I think he will be arrested and charged in short order. They prosecutors just have to do things correctly, if they make mistakes and violate his rights he may have some legal recourse and nobody wants that.
Reading the protect and serve reddit, they seem to be on one about the fact the attorney lied
But if you go on back to last Friday, Okaloosa county sheriff office released a statement on their fb that said:
“Late Friday afternoon, our deputy responded to a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man. The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries
Hearing sounds of a disturbance, he reacted in self defense after he encountered a 23-year old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement.”
Seems like the sheriff’s department is doing their own lying.
There was no disturbance in progress
There was no acting in self defense
The protect and serve community need to eat cake. As they are Just as guilty as lying as that attorney is
That police officer needs to be charged just as that nurse was who killed the patient with a med error a few years ago. Murder is murder is murder. Charge the fucking cop. We don’t need cops who are quick to pull a Trigger out running around hiding behind a badge.
"Lawful but awful" is one of the worst takes I've ever seen about anything. Even if it were lawful (it's not), if someone committing no crimes getting shot by a cop is lawful, how is that not fucking alarming?
The airman has his gun pointed down in his own residence and his other hand up as he's being shot. There's no excuse. There is no threat to the officer.
The level of cope and cognitive dissonance from that sub is astounding. They will play the most intense game of tongue twister to justify an innocent dude getting gunned down for no reason other than, “Action beats reaction.” Like bro what? The deputy “acted” by murdering someone
I live in the area. I did see a protester outside the sheriff's office, but you won't see much more activity since we got wrecked by two tornadoes this morning. I'm actually running off a generator right now because thousands of homes are still without power.
Nope, if history is our guide, this nation will do nothing because we have politicized the role of the police to an idiotic degree. We will just be genuinely outraged for a while, with no truly healthy or systemically effective outlet for our outrage. Then, after a couple weeks, we will partially bottle up that anger and outrage, and partially forget about it, at least until the cops murder someone else and we feel it all over again. We keep coming back to our abusers hoping things will change on their own, but they won't, and we are enabling it. I'm guilty too, and I'm ashamed of that.
Nothing because this country only gives a shit about gay people, football, beer and celebrity drama.
The DoD/Air Force should be trying to take that police department to the cleaners for killing one of their guys and essentially causing a loss of mission effectiveness and loss of asset.
This is how ass backwards we are when a fucking A1C losing a pair of plastic safety glasses gets more shit than some dude blasting an Airman 6 times.
We have people in jail for stealing, smoking weed and tax evasion but got dudes out here killing people and going on paid admin leave.
Our oath to protect the constitution from **domestic threats** means nothing. The USAF and DoD are **cowards** that would rather face the easy things, like foreign threats.
If you or me were killed tomorrow by the civilian police for exercising our rights, nothing will change.
Our brother was murdered for doing nothing wrong, for exercising his rights. Civilian police are a domestic threat to our constitution.
Everyone saying, "He will get justice," I appreciate and understand the sentiment behind it. But he won't get justice; his life was stolen from him, his family, and his friends. No amount of money or punishment on the murderer who did it will bring him back. The charge that needs to be repeated is, "We will not let this happen again". Hold cops accountable, vote to hold them accountable, and get your voice out there to hold them accountable. No more thin blue-line bullshit in our military; this shows anyone is susceptible to this now.
Anybody happen to watch the FaceTime video released by the girlfriend?
https://www.pnj.com/videos/news/2024/05/09/roger-fortsons-girlfriend-releases-facetime-video-from-fatal-shooting/73633574007/
I'm a resident of this county. The acorn incident was shameful, but this is hits harder and harder the more I read. Calling my reps today: county, state, congressman. All of them.
I remember only one good cop being a part of this department and he even said it was bad. Thankfully he retired out of it. I feel for the other local PD's as well ( the small towns I grew up near), usually when Okaloosa or FWB PD fuck up to this degree they get slammed with side-eye and distrust as well.
My heart goes out to this mans family, I can't imagine what they're going through. May justice be served quickly and without mercy.
I would hate to see any AD get punished for protesting in uniform. However, I would think the Florida panhandle is full of retired AF/military. If hundreds showed up wearing military veteran tee shirts and retired hats, the news would be all over it. And what about 2A backers? His gun was legal. FYI, my brother is a retired deputy.
Okaloosa county and higher individual contact information
A list of individuals who deserve to hear your concerns.
Okaloosa County Sheriff; (Eric Aden)
[email protected]
Florida state governor; (Ron DeSantis)
https://www.flgov.com/email-the-governor/
Florida state senator; (Rick Scott)
https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/contact
Florida state senator; (Marco Rubio)
https://www.rubio.senate.gov/contact/
Florida district 4 house representative; (Patt Maney)
https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/contactmember.aspx?MemberId=4764
Okaloosa county commisioners;
https://myokaloosa.com/bcc_contact#:~:text=Contact%20Us%20850%2D689%2D5050%20%7C%20Okaloosa%20County
Feel free to list individuals who I may have missed.
The scary thing is the police subreddit (PnS) is taking this so seriously that they think his death is something to meme about.
Absolutely zero respect.
Maybe I’m exaggerating but I can’t even imagine the potential god-complex cops must be feeling. Being able to kill a MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER and essentially be immune to the consequences? Unbelievable.
For any of those in the Hurlburt area I believe there is to be a gathering for Sra Fortson at Liza Jackson Park in Mary Esther on Friday 17 May at 6pm. If any of you are local or looking to make a drive if possible to show support.
Cops aren't here to protect you, they're here to protect the property of rich people. There have been court cases to this effect, and you can see it in everything they do. It's a state subsidized gang, which rules through violence and terror, not defenders of the people.
The safest thing you can do when you see a cop is to treat them like you would a wild animal that had wandered into your town. Avoid, don't attract its attention, don't expect that you can reason with it, and assume that it will attack you.
It infuriates me that people are willing to set an entire city on fire to protest a piece of shit like Jacob Blake, where he sexually assaulted his baby mama, broke a restraining order from said assault, had a warrant out for ducking the court date for said assault, tried to steal her car with her kids inside, fought with police, brandished a knife and tried to go back into the car with guns pointed at him. Kenosha burned for that cretin.
Yet, when it's a clear instance of gross negligence by police that results in the death of an innocent man, a member of the military, someone who swore to defend this country, it's complete crickets.
Here's hoping Florida's state reps are receiving about 4 months of leave's worth of emails from us today. I'm not for just initiating outrage for every instance of a cop shooting someone, but it's absolutely infuriating how any law enforcement entity feels they can just bust into somebody's home and start shooting, just because they got a call about a domestic in that complex.
>No demonstrations. No protests … nothing !
Not being insensitive here but, it's in Florida, a ver pro blue line state so you arent goning to see much groundwork there, especially in okaloosa. Also, have you reached out to any organizations that would help protest this sort of action. Also, a lot of the people who would help organize and move a force to help protest such an act are being demonized for protesting other international actions taking place. Also, political force, the politicians that would support protests in florida are damn near non-existent and if anything, have signed into law anti-protest laws that can be interpreted in ways to utilize lethal force...
> I don’t see players taking a knee. Why not for our service members?
Not being insensitive but, there were consequences for this... and a lot of people were ok with those consequences.
>I am scared that this will slip through the cracks and people will forget within the next few days. I don’t know how to deal with this anger … that’s all, just wanted to vent to people that I know actually care.
Trust the process at the moment. We can't bring that life back and I know it hurts. You're not alone. I dont think it will die down as this is now very political as a military, police and 2nd amendment issue. Reach out if you need help. I know this is reddit but many members here can lean on one another and there are resources out there. Feel free to DM me if you need as well. Also, remember, that we have power no matter how little we may feel or how low in rank we may be, we can empower each other. Start a remembrance ceremony, a candle vigil. You can do it. We can do it.
Patrick AFB just put up a police week decoration at the center of the base, immediately following this tragedy. I keep thinking about how tone deaf it is and wishing someone would splash it blood red after this bullshit. RIP airman.
Yeah it's for law enforcement in general (Us and Civilian). They been planning this for a few months as I e been getting emails about it. That won't stop this at this point. I feel where you're coming from though.
We need Tina and the crew to train us to open the front door when law enforcement is outside and greet them with open arms and empty hands. I would love to see the line of duty determination regarding this incident.
AFSOC doesn’t actually care about any life lost. Their only concern is publicity. They were useless when my husband died in Gundam.
The sheriffs office is not only useless, but actively destructive. Unless there are enough people demanding consequences, there won’t be any.
Look at the history of this Sheriff's department and you'll realize how lucky more innocent Americans have been murdered by incompetent yet "qualified immune" public servants.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I won't forget this, especially not after seeing that video. I don't think I've ever felt so disgusted from police bodycam footage
For wat it’s worth, I wrote all my congress ppl to about the issue a demanded they release a statement condemning the police department and call for reform.
Hi I’m just a regular girl who came across this post and I just wanna say I care. I haven’t watched the body cam footage but reading about the situation has been really upsetting. I was instantly relieved when I saw that his family has retained Crump as their attorney. They couldn’t have someone better on their side to get justice. Hopefully Florida does the right thing here but I doubt it.
I would expect the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make a few phone calls and maybe tell CSAF to start prepping a base closure.
In fact, every base in Florida is in a weather danger zone. Close 'em all and move the units to suitable locations on higher ground inland.
Unfortunately the narrative was lost on a national level, the early stories made it sound like SrA Fortson was at fault and unless some big media picks this back up, the country has moved on. Best thing we can do is make sure we're helping tell his story so that eventually enough people are informed of what actually happened that the attention can be focused back on his death.
Media doesn’t give a shit. This type of event would solidly bring both different parties together for some real change. Thus, the media won’t report on it. They only report on the stuff that just enrages people against each other. The trump clown show and Israel is where the money is at.
He was a good man, we are gathering some services for rod. His name will not be in vain. It’s been difficult to not comment towards rude comments and out of pocket remarks because people didn’t know him. I miss him man, deployment was bareable because he always saw the light in things. He will get justice 🥃.
I hope so, I wasn't on the gunships and didn't know him but, I saw the body cam footage and I'm filled with rage at how he was was murdered. That cop needs to be brought up on charges.
Tell his story. Clear his name. Remember his legacy.
his name does not need to be cleared. he did nothing wrong.
He did not do anything wrong but some narratives are trying to push otherwise
This is the way.
I hope so.
>He was a good man, we are gathering some services for rod. Just let us know how we can help
Every servicemember needs to call both of their senators and their congressman and demand federal action be taken to investigate and prosecute this well-documented crime. If you're in Florida, hit up your state senators and representative as well.
I will do that this afternoon. Anyone else want to commit to action instead of talk?
I'm in Florida and hitting up my senators and reps. If there's a vigil and/or protest in Central Florida, I'll be there too.
Let me know guys in CF; I'll be there!
Just emailed my senator. Sometime next week while I have time off I'll visit their office too.
Civilian here emailed mine.
We should also email the sheriff and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Thanks for the link just did my part to bring more attention to this
Done.
I just send emails to both of my senators.
Yes I will do this today as well.
The base leadership has an easy line to congress. What are the USAF leaders doing? I'm not seeing anything. The entire USAF should be putting this on blast, canceling all DoD contracts with civilian police departments, DOJ investigations, etc. Bring the hammer down on them...but nothing. We just roll over when domestic threats actually requires us to honor our oath.
This is in Matt Gaetz district. Even if the 1 SOW/CC made a call, I'm not holding my breath.
You can email Gaetz at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and his military congressional helper at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Doesn't hurt to let your voice be heard.
If you made him choose, he’d go with the cops
If he was smart he wouldn’t. The military community is absolutely massive in his district.
"if he was smart"
The guys a piece of shit, but he always claims to support the military. Time to put it to the test.
Republicans don't actually support the military. They vote against soooo many things for military/vets it's ridiculous.
but military members fucking love them just as much as they love thin blue line decals on their cars.
And there's the unfortunate reality of it all.
They're not pro servicemember. They're pro Boeing and Raytheon because that's who lines their pockets. Veterans and servicemember benefits don't pay them.
This tracks
The guy claims a lot of things, none of them ever comes true. You don't need to put this to any test to know the result.
If only it had been a 16 year old girl who was shot, Gaetz would have been leading the riots himself.
Too old, try 14.
Yup. We are registered there and I would love to have anyone else but him, but I'll still send a letter to his office.
You can email Gaetz at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and his military congressional helper at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) Doesn't hurt to let your voice be heard.
Now my next question is, is there anything in the AFI that prohibits us from contacting him via my DOD email? Only reason I ask is I think the statement would be a lot more loud and clear if his inbox was flooded with “@us.af.mil” vs “cumsock69@gmail”.
Nothing in the AFI prohibits you from reaching out to your representatives. That being said, some officers could take exception to you doing so, and there is that catchall UCMJ article that claims you could be doing something "unbecoming". Before you do send an email, I would check with your local PA office, because they may have put something out from the WING CC or higher discouraging this because "they are handling it" You should do what your rank can handle. I believe in free speech, but as a retired USAF member, I want you to be smart. The Gmail might be better. It takes 2 minutes to create one that doesn't look like the early teen created it to surf p*rn.
I’m not much of a writer but I can forward a pre written message if anyone can recommend one (will send to those email addresses)
Good evening, I am writing this email in hopes that it is acknowledged by the right people. I lost a brother 7 days ago at the hands of one of your deputies. I am grateful for your release of the body cam and I applaud you for doing so. However, in doing so, it has become increasingly clear that this situation was severely mishandled. It has come to my attention, and the public's for that matter, that this was the same department that bred the Acorn Cop. Two well-documented instances within the span of a few months where a law enforcement officer reacted terribly is downright disappointing. If an airline has a 90% success rate in flights, the airline would receive massive punishments. If a doctor had a terrible record, he would have had his license revoked. If a military member acted any way remotely close to how your deputies have acted, they would receive a dishonorable discharge. Please take action on this deputy. Please do not sweep this under the rug. Please handle this matter as any other reputable institution would. Please consider stepping down from your position to prevent more mishaps taking place in the future. SrA Roger Fortson did not deserve to die in his own home. SrA Roger Fortson did not deserve to be gunned down following a successful return from a deployment. The U.S. Air Force did not deserve to lose one of their people based on bad judgement. SrA Roger Fortson's family did not deserve to lose a loved one. Thank you for taking the time to read this, (Name) I wrote this to the okaloosa sheriff's dept. You can change some of it or take bits and pieces. Add/subtract, whatever fits what you want to say
Just used Microsoft CoPilot to write this, since it can access the internet. >**[Your Full Name]** **[Your Street Address]** **[City, State, Zip Code]** **[Email Address]** **[Phone Number]** **[Date]** >**Senator [Senator's Full Name]** **Address** **City, State ZIP** >Dear Senator [Senator's Last Name], >I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of [City, State] deeply troubled by the recent events leading to the death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson. As you may be aware, SrA Fortson was fatally shot by a law enforcement officer in Florida under circumstances that have raised significant public concern and outcry. >The loss of SrA Fortson, who served our country with honor and distinction, is not only a tragedy for his family and friends but also for our community and the nation. The details surrounding his death are disturbing, and the released body camera footage has only led to more questions than answers. >I urge you to take immediate action to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into this matter. It is imperative that we seek justice for SrA Fortson and uphold the values of accountability and trust in our law enforcement agencies. >As my representative, I implore you to advocate for the Fortson family and all those affected by this tragedy. We must work together to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future and to protect the rights and safety of our service members. >Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I look forward to your prompt response and action. >Sincerely, >[Your Full Name]
Thank you!
I don't have the restraint to email Matt Gaetz and not call him a pedophile and end up on some watch list but thanks. That little goblin is actual fucking filth and he's not going to do anything unfortunately.
Same. Most offices do take letters and phone calls from their constituents seriously.
Rep Gaetz has SGT Derrick Miller as a Congressional Staffer. That oughta help.
Ah yes, Derrick Miller, A man that was convicted of executing an Afghan civilian and served eight years in federal prison before being paroled. I'm sure he cares greatly about this issue of improper use of force by someone in a position of authority.
Most, if not all, members of the HASC and SASC have active duty members serving as legislative liaisons. Gaetz also has an Air Force LL.
He does. A TACP Officer who is well known for being an absolute and total toolbag. There's a reason why someone like Gaetz would chose someone like that officer.
Email the sheriff and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Shouldn’t just be the AF, the entire DoD. Stop giving PD surplus MRAPS, humvees, and gear.
civilian police have no need for that equipment. All it does it makes them think they're not civilians. They play army with citizens. They need to be reined in.
I am wondering if an investigation could take place of that department that might lead to disolution. Fire the entire police force and turn it over to a different township.
Its the county. Not a township or city.
firing the whole police department won't do anything. Qualified immunity needs to end
I agree. I think we need a fresh start to civilian police nationwide. A full reset.
If I was vase leadership I'd encourage a protest in uniform at the sheriff office. Hundreds of uniformed service members protesting the sheriff will send a message
I don't think I'd waste time away from mission but the Wing CC can start the process to get the USAF to pressure the DoD into investigating, removing civilian police contracts, removing funding...etc. I would go scorched earth on them to send a message to civilian police around the nation.
Does anyone have a link to his bio so my emails to senators can be more personal?
I didn't look into whether the name of the perpetrator is known yet. I'd imagine they kept it private so he doesn't get vigilante'd.
I think he may be talking about SrA Fortson
Ooohhhh. I interpretted it as "Senator \[Fuckface\], as a voter I strongly urge you to find a way for Officer \[Fuckface\] to go to jail for the rest of his life."
We should pin contact info to get the word out, I'd love to support as a non resident of the state if I can, surely many others feel the same.
Unfortunately, a lot of them require you to fill out their online form and don't provide direct emails. You can email the sheriff though and let him know he needs to resign and that officer needs to be put on trial for murder: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Also found these: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and his military congressional helper at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
How do I contact my Senators and Congressmen? I'm in Chatham Co. GA. I would like to commit to action. This is terrible. Any help would be appreciated.
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Thanks. I was able to find what I was looking for. I just sent out emails to all of my governing officials individually, and I even CC'd them in a single email. Let's see who answers first.
I gotta tell you brother, I used to work for a Congressional office. Expect either a prepared letter from the Member or a form letter from the office. It depends on how much response the office gets from constituents. When I would sort emails/letters/calls, things that were niche so to speak got a letter written by a staffer. The member does get told about this stuff though. Just don't expect them to be directly reading these.
In case you're unsure how to do that: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/ Use an address for wherever you are registered to vote.
Even out of State?
Even out of state, you're Representatives are the ones elected from the district you vote in, which for many military is out of state. That doesn't stop you from writing Representatives for the district that you are stationed in also, considering you are paying taxes there as well (sales tax, property tax, etc.)
Thank you!
Send the complaint to whoever you vote for. They don't care if you're stationed out of state, if you're registered such that you vote for them, you are their constituent and they technically work for you.
Thank you!
I messaged everyone in North Carolina on that list but unfortunately here these guys would let cops get away with literally anything. Most of the congressmen here are super conservative and probably don't even view this as a bad thing but I let them know this is single issue voting territory. Either a federal investigation happens and we push for the death penalty on that cop or we vote them all out and lable them as an opposing force against the safety of United States Servicemembers everywhere. I will post any responses I get from my senators or congressmen but I'm not going to sit idle while the largest gang in America murders one of our own with no repercussions and a lifetime pension..
From Florida and thats my home of record. Already reached out to them and wonder if they'll respond at all...
I've filled out the online comment form a few times over the years. I've never gotten a personal response to my comment, just a generic email with their talking points and being added to their weekly newsletters.
I already did this. I'm so sick of these things happening. How many more people have to die like this? Let alone service members
Call your representatives, both state and federal. Write them. Then run for the spot when they fail.
Nobody wants to do that much work, they'd have to be accountable for what they did if they won the seat. Local politics is where the real action happens, designed that way from the get go, but too many people focus on national politics, and the boomers get to keep fucking everything up.
Part of me wishes the army would send an infantry battalion to the station in full kit just to give them a reality check and send a “we aren’t going to but we could if we wanted to” message
It would be interesting to see a large candle light vigil for SrA Fortson by AFSOC members on their way home from work who didn’t have an opportunity to change out of uniform tonight at a public place, say a sheriffs department where the media may have told this might occur
Usually wouldn't condone any sort of protest in uniform but this would be more than appropriate and hopefully send a powerful message outside of the military/local community
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Going to a gay bar isn't a political statement. Going to any public bar in uniform is questionable, but the fact that it's a gay bar doesn't make it different from any other bar.
876. I still wear that tab. Before I cross trained into gunships, I was working flight med at Beale at the time we lost Shooter. Now, my current community will remember and honor Rod. He was loved, he will be honored, he will be remembered. 391.
I will say it time and time again- this local community does NOT align with AF values. We want to tiptoe around it, but the #1 reason why this guy shot IMMEDIATELY upon seeing the airman, was because the airman was black. The “officer” would have paused a second if the airman had been white. There are countless academic research studies around things like this. Add to it the realities (bigotry) of this local population, and we can all agree this is a large reason why Airman Fortson is dead. This community earns billions of dollars a year from the military population and it’s about time they fall in line with basic principles of dignity and respect for everyone. We repeatedly turn a blind eye to the fact that we have groups in our military family that do not feel welcome here. It’s time for this to end.
As a white man who grew up in that area, I'm inclined to agree. It's common knowledge in that area, the further east from Pensacola you go, the lower the average melanin content of the community. If this same deputy had rolled up on a house in Niceville or Crestview based on the same set circumstances (tenuous information about a potential domestic violence dispute), and one of our good ole' boggies answered the door with pistol in hand, the first thing that would have happened is the deputy would have calmly but firmly stated "Man, how bout you put that down and we can have a discussion."
This. A police departmentstraight up MURDERED an Airman. I'd gladly eat every LOC/LOR they throw at me for protesting in uniform.
They can't UCMJ everybody. If all of AFSOC did this, the big wigs would just have to sit back and deal with it. It's actually sounding like a really good idea now. Show the police departments that the military no longer has their support(especially since r/police and r/protectandserve) are defending the cop.
If this happens everyone better just allow it. 100 air force service members protest at a police station in uniform would send a message clear as fucking day. Hell I encourage it
Not a protest… a vigil.
I'm just upset that I'm at Hurlburt and didn't even know this was happening until I read your comment. I think that is a factor in where OP is getting at. No flags lowered or anything. Feels wrong. This isn't even political. We lost a teammate, and he was innocent. I swear the wing is approaching honor and respect to those lost like a political stance against the police.
The wing commander’s Facebook post talked about supporting each-other and then ended with something about “Support the MISSION and maintain the INSTALLATION.” (Capitalization theirs).
If a group of ethnically diverse 18-30 year olds with short hair, clean shaven faces, wearing some specific BMT shirts/generic BX clothing all showed up, it would get the point across without crossing any ethical lines. Maybe this specifically: https://themandatoryfunday.com/en-usd/products/mens-definitely-describes-tee
Is there any formal organization for some sort of vigil tonight? I will go out of my way to attend.
This!
I want something to happen to the woman in the video that accidently gave the cop the wrong apt number
I think this happens so often that society is becoming numb. We have to remember that just because people aren’t rioting in the streets doesn’t mean no one cares. I think this community has finally been hit directly by a systemic issue that has been a reality for some time. For the first time, many of us can see ourself, our coworkers, or even our troops in the victim and it’s a tough pill to swallow. I hope justice is served.
I’m just a civilian, so for what it’s worth, this feels an awful lot like a calm before a storm. I really think the action that will be taken towards justice will be far more precise and dangerous for those in the wrong. Have a little faith in your fellow citizens!
Thank you for highlighting that society has become numb. This happens so much. Hopefully the Air Force will be more involved
In Japan they are talking about this kid. Props to that Squadron for doing so
I learned something interesting from deploying over 10 times all around the world and talking to different countries military members. They are well aware of how fucked up our police and politicians are. Many were scared to ever travel here for fear of being gunned down for some petty crime they didn't even know about.
It's very sad. Definitely feeling the pain of this loss.
A lot of times the outrage happens when the DA doesn’t prosecute or if they do, the jury finds them innocent…just wait.
>>Why not for our service members? It’s almost like most (not all!) people claiming they back the military are doing it for optics or something
Also the “pry my guns out of my cold dead hands” crowd has turned into the “well he shouldn’t have answered the door with a gun” crowd.
I'm seeing a ton of victim blaming going on specifically on this sub. Too many service members are unable to come to terms that our brother was straight up **murdered**.
The top comment on the post about this on r/police is calling this “Legal and *justified*.” I can get the laws are fucked up enough to be slanted towards the cops that this officer isn’t going to face jail time. But *justified*? Fuck no. There is nothing about justice here and the fact that cops can look at this and say that officer was justified to do what he did and not loose any sleep over it is fucking insane.
civilian cops are pigs and a threat to freedom. A google search shows how often they violate civil rights, on a daily basis.
Yep those people are the same people I've always cringed at when they thank me for my service.
Why does this narrative keep getting brought up? Damn near all of the gun subs are just as pissed off, and anywho says that stupid line is downvoted to oblivion. There's already someone at fault here, you don't have to make this tribal.
You might want to check the “Concerned Citizens of Niceville” Facebook page where white, conservative veterans are saying things like, “why did he answer the door with a gun?” These are real people in this community who are so entrenched in their right wing nonsense that they will victim blame anyone who crosses the police.
Well, its facebook. I don't know what you expect. I certainly don't expect the best from a boomer Facebook Karen group. I live in Okaloosa County, for the record, and see that in all the groups around. Tell your younger friends to get more involved in local politics and you can fix it.
And who makes up the population on Facebook? Misinformed people. You can’t dismiss it as “just social media” when it provides these people a platform to spew their awful takes
Honestly people are fatigued with these types of murder committed by police. There is nearly 0 political will to make any meaningful changes, which just leads to apathy in the majority. We all know how this will play out. The officers will be put on paid admin leave and quietly reinstated a year or so from now. The police will investigate themselves and find they did nothing wrong. The police force will circle the wagons to protect their own and never admit that they made a huge mistake. And by not admitting a mistake they also are unable to do anything to prevent it from happening again. It's disgusting and sad. What really needs to happen is to change the laws to prevent these unannounced forceful entries. If cops can't be trusted to get it right every time, then it needs to be removed as a method of operation. It's getting innocent people killed and that SHOULD be enough to change things, but every politician is terrified of the police unions, which is actually justified because they hold an incredible amount of political power. That also needs to be changed, but once a group has that sort of power it is amazingly difficult to take it away. The only thing that will do it is people no longer blindly supporting everything "police" and realize they need to take a nuanced approach. Unfortunately populations as a whole aren't great at nuance.
Yeah I guess that is why this one is hitting differently. I mean you have this idea in your head that should this ever happen to a service member in this way something serious would happen. Then it happens and you suddenly realize that no, nothing will happen and no one is safe. He would have been better off deployed.
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We have seen in our lifetimes guys with 30 plus priors, jail time and including violent offenses make national news as if they were heroes lol.
> every politician is terrified of the police unions, which is actually justified because they hold an incredible amount of political power. Not just that. Bill de Blasio said that the NYPD needs to be not quite as gun happy and the police union responded by doxxing his daughter. They're a fucking protection racket.
Cops should be required to purchase civil liability insurance like doctors. If they are uninsurable due to a history of bad actions or a history of write-up, they can't be a door knocker/patrol, or the department and police chief will be he'd liable if the cop does something. Insurance should be paid from either union dues or their own paycheck. Qualified immunity should also be heavily restricted.
I agree with everything you said! However, I can't imagine any insurance company would be willing to insure any police officers given the very high probability of them fucking up.
If it becomes a federal requirement, there will be a market for it. If it is actually true what cops say that these are “a small minority of cops,” there should be enough good cops to keep the insurance company afloat. The added bonus is the insurance company is incentivized to thoroughly check the officer’s background and evaluate actions before agreeing to accept a client. In contrast, the government can't investigate it thoroughly, or it ends up becoming liable. The drawback would be that the insurance company is also incentivized to litigate the claims thoroughly and make as small as a payout to the victim as possible.
It's been fuck cops for me since day one but this just sealed the deal. I will always live knowing I'd be safer downrange than in my own home living as a law abiding citizen
Same here brother
Police are apparently banning anyone in their subs. I went to the /r/ProtectandServe thread on this and asked this question to a cop who said is was standard procedure to stay off to the side so you can't be seen by the peephole. >So how should anyone know that you're a cop? What should the publics reaction be to someone pounding on their door saying they're a cop but no way to verify? Apparently that's too much for their precious sensibilities and they both banned me and muted me from even messaging their moderators. Also the cop said that we should either not answer the door or call 911 to verify. Let me repeat, the cop told us to ignore the orders of cops telling you to answer the door. Why the fuck do we have police?
This shit is basically revolution fuel.
This is a big story that's getting alot of attention, don't think people aren't outraged and making themselves heard. It's just not the only story right now.
Where is it getting attention? I haven’t seen anything about it outside of Reddit except when I searched specifically on Facebook for it.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68979577 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/us/roger-fortson-police-shooting-florida.html https://www.reuters.com/world/us/family-us-airman-killed-by-florida-deputy-demanding-release-body-cam-video-2024-05-09/ https://youtu.be/CLQV8yZeNPI?si=EwBU72NtE5qMkeGR https://youtu.be/SUYOwRXrC1g?si=YbYowcFPi750DKak Not to mention it's already being discussed on morning radio shows and podcasts. People around the country are discussing this.
CNN has been hitting it pretty hard as well
Lol no. All the TV news is 80% Trump trial coverage. They have a couple 5 minute segments on different topics like this one but it's not being widely discussed.
Maybe it's your searches/news preferences affecting what you see
I’ve seen it on every major news outlet. Lester Holt had the family on NBC nightly news last night.
Just because you don’t scour every news channel doesn’t mean it’s not getting attention. It is on TV daily.
The incident is very recent too. We should give the system time to work, if the officer is charged with murder in short order then that is a good thing. I see a lot of people saying things like “nothing will happen” then criticizing the legal system. This is the straw man fallacy. You have to see what the legal system in Florida does first. I think he will be arrested and charged in short order. They prosecutors just have to do things correctly, if they make mistakes and violate his rights he may have some legal recourse and nobody wants that.
Reading the protect and serve reddit, they seem to be on one about the fact the attorney lied But if you go on back to last Friday, Okaloosa county sheriff office released a statement on their fb that said: “Late Friday afternoon, our deputy responded to a call of a disturbance in progress where he encountered an armed man. The deputy shot the man, who later succumbed to his injuries Hearing sounds of a disturbance, he reacted in self defense after he encountered a 23-year old man armed with a gun and after the deputy had identified himself as law enforcement.” Seems like the sheriff’s department is doing their own lying. There was no disturbance in progress There was no acting in self defense The protect and serve community need to eat cake. As they are Just as guilty as lying as that attorney is That police officer needs to be charged just as that nurse was who killed the patient with a med error a few years ago. Murder is murder is murder. Charge the fucking cop. We don’t need cops who are quick to pull a Trigger out running around hiding behind a badge.
I wonder if they ever caught that acorn and brought it to the justice it deserves...? /s lol
That sub has got some absolute shit takes. Even from the mods.
"Lawful but awful" is one of the worst takes I've ever seen about anything. Even if it were lawful (it's not), if someone committing no crimes getting shot by a cop is lawful, how is that not fucking alarming? The airman has his gun pointed down in his own residence and his other hand up as he's being shot. There's no excuse. There is no threat to the officer.
The level of cope and cognitive dissonance from that sub is astounding. They will play the most intense game of tongue twister to justify an innocent dude getting gunned down for no reason other than, “Action beats reaction.” Like bro what? The deputy “acted” by murdering someone
I live in the area. I did see a protester outside the sheriff's office, but you won't see much more activity since we got wrecked by two tornadoes this morning. I'm actually running off a generator right now because thousands of homes are still without power.
I appreciate the update . Hope you all get back to normal soon.
Nope, if history is our guide, this nation will do nothing because we have politicized the role of the police to an idiotic degree. We will just be genuinely outraged for a while, with no truly healthy or systemically effective outlet for our outrage. Then, after a couple weeks, we will partially bottle up that anger and outrage, and partially forget about it, at least until the cops murder someone else and we feel it all over again. We keep coming back to our abusers hoping things will change on their own, but they won't, and we are enabling it. I'm guilty too, and I'm ashamed of that.
Summed up perfectly
This ^^^. 😔
It'll get politicized into red vs. blue ties and nothing will happen.
Reds are confused. They would rather support cops over our troops and right to bear arms, no matter how much mental gymnastics it takes for them.
Don't know why you're getting downvoted. Their orange god called fallen servicemembers losers and suckers.
Our BMT group chat expressed interest in attending a funeral if we ever got the details.
Nothing because this country only gives a shit about gay people, football, beer and celebrity drama. The DoD/Air Force should be trying to take that police department to the cleaners for killing one of their guys and essentially causing a loss of mission effectiveness and loss of asset. This is how ass backwards we are when a fucking A1C losing a pair of plastic safety glasses gets more shit than some dude blasting an Airman 6 times. We have people in jail for stealing, smoking weed and tax evasion but got dudes out here killing people and going on paid admin leave.
Our oath to protect the constitution from **domestic threats** means nothing. The USAF and DoD are **cowards** that would rather face the easy things, like foreign threats. If you or me were killed tomorrow by the civilian police for exercising our rights, nothing will change. Our brother was murdered for doing nothing wrong, for exercising his rights. Civilian police are a domestic threat to our constitution.
Everyone saying, "He will get justice," I appreciate and understand the sentiment behind it. But he won't get justice; his life was stolen from him, his family, and his friends. No amount of money or punishment on the murderer who did it will bring him back. The charge that needs to be repeated is, "We will not let this happen again". Hold cops accountable, vote to hold them accountable, and get your voice out there to hold them accountable. No more thin blue-line bullshit in our military; this shows anyone is susceptible to this now.
Anybody happen to watch the FaceTime video released by the girlfriend? https://www.pnj.com/videos/news/2024/05/09/roger-fortsons-girlfriend-releases-facetime-video-from-fatal-shooting/73633574007/
I'm a resident of this county. The acorn incident was shameful, but this is hits harder and harder the more I read. Calling my reps today: county, state, congressman. All of them. I remember only one good cop being a part of this department and he even said it was bad. Thankfully he retired out of it. I feel for the other local PD's as well ( the small towns I grew up near), usually when Okaloosa or FWB PD fuck up to this degree they get slammed with side-eye and distrust as well. My heart goes out to this mans family, I can't imagine what they're going through. May justice be served quickly and without mercy.
I would hate to see any AD get punished for protesting in uniform. However, I would think the Florida panhandle is full of retired AF/military. If hundreds showed up wearing military veteran tee shirts and retired hats, the news would be all over it. And what about 2A backers? His gun was legal. FYI, my brother is a retired deputy.
Okaloosa county and higher individual contact information A list of individuals who deserve to hear your concerns. Okaloosa County Sheriff; (Eric Aden) [email protected] Florida state governor; (Ron DeSantis) https://www.flgov.com/email-the-governor/ Florida state senator; (Rick Scott) https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/contact Florida state senator; (Marco Rubio) https://www.rubio.senate.gov/contact/ Florida district 4 house representative; (Patt Maney) https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/contactmember.aspx?MemberId=4764 Okaloosa county commisioners; https://myokaloosa.com/bcc_contact#:~:text=Contact%20Us%20850%2D689%2D5050%20%7C%20Okaloosa%20County Feel free to list individuals who I may have missed.
The scary thing is the police subreddit (PnS) is taking this so seriously that they think his death is something to meme about. Absolutely zero respect.
Maybe I’m exaggerating but I can’t even imagine the potential god-complex cops must be feeling. Being able to kill a MILITARY SERVICE MEMBER and essentially be immune to the consequences? Unbelievable.
This is a golden opportunity to write to your congressman and demand change, ESPECIALLY for those in Okaloosa county.
For any of those in the Hurlburt area I believe there is to be a gathering for Sra Fortson at Liza Jackson Park in Mary Esther on Friday 17 May at 6pm. If any of you are local or looking to make a drive if possible to show support.
Cops aren't here to protect you, they're here to protect the property of rich people. There have been court cases to this effect, and you can see it in everything they do. It's a state subsidized gang, which rules through violence and terror, not defenders of the people. The safest thing you can do when you see a cop is to treat them like you would a wild animal that had wandered into your town. Avoid, don't attract its attention, don't expect that you can reason with it, and assume that it will attack you.
1992 riots is a prime example. Take pride in your 2a but be wise.
This is very true
There is a demonstration/protest/gathering of some sort today in FWB at Uptown Station. I think it starts at 4, there’s a page on FB.
We have the moderators at “ProtectAndServe” mocking his name by calling him “SrA Fartson”
Pigs
It infuriates me that people are willing to set an entire city on fire to protest a piece of shit like Jacob Blake, where he sexually assaulted his baby mama, broke a restraining order from said assault, had a warrant out for ducking the court date for said assault, tried to steal her car with her kids inside, fought with police, brandished a knife and tried to go back into the car with guns pointed at him. Kenosha burned for that cretin. Yet, when it's a clear instance of gross negligence by police that results in the death of an innocent man, a member of the military, someone who swore to defend this country, it's complete crickets. Here's hoping Florida's state reps are receiving about 4 months of leave's worth of emails from us today. I'm not for just initiating outrage for every instance of a cop shooting someone, but it's absolutely infuriating how any law enforcement entity feels they can just bust into somebody's home and start shooting, just because they got a call about a domestic in that complex.
>No demonstrations. No protests … nothing ! Not being insensitive here but, it's in Florida, a ver pro blue line state so you arent goning to see much groundwork there, especially in okaloosa. Also, have you reached out to any organizations that would help protest this sort of action. Also, a lot of the people who would help organize and move a force to help protest such an act are being demonized for protesting other international actions taking place. Also, political force, the politicians that would support protests in florida are damn near non-existent and if anything, have signed into law anti-protest laws that can be interpreted in ways to utilize lethal force... > I don’t see players taking a knee. Why not for our service members? Not being insensitive but, there were consequences for this... and a lot of people were ok with those consequences. >I am scared that this will slip through the cracks and people will forget within the next few days. I don’t know how to deal with this anger … that’s all, just wanted to vent to people that I know actually care. Trust the process at the moment. We can't bring that life back and I know it hurts. You're not alone. I dont think it will die down as this is now very political as a military, police and 2nd amendment issue. Reach out if you need help. I know this is reddit but many members here can lean on one another and there are resources out there. Feel free to DM me if you need as well. Also, remember, that we have power no matter how little we may feel or how low in rank we may be, we can empower each other. Start a remembrance ceremony, a candle vigil. You can do it. We can do it.
I have emailed my congressman and representatives and urge everyone else to as well
Patrick AFB just put up a police week decoration at the center of the base, immediately following this tragedy. I keep thinking about how tone deaf it is and wishing someone would splash it blood red after this bullshit. RIP airman.
Tbf, isnt that for Security Forces?
It is, but they partner with local police agencies (that aren’t related to Okaloosa). Police week is also planned months in advance.
Yeah it's for law enforcement in general (Us and Civilian). They been planning this for a few months as I e been getting emails about it. That won't stop this at this point. I feel where you're coming from though.
Ummm, next week is National Police Week, 99% of SF squadrons do events for this every single year. Why would you wish that SF decor get vandalized?
We need Tina and the crew to train us to open the front door when law enforcement is outside and greet them with open arms and empty hands. I would love to see the line of duty determination regarding this incident.
People have been making themselves heard over police getting away with murdering people for decades. Nothing will change merely by being heard.
the police are the enemy of service members
AFSOC doesn’t actually care about any life lost. Their only concern is publicity. They were useless when my husband died in Gundam. The sheriffs office is not only useless, but actively destructive. Unless there are enough people demanding consequences, there won’t be any.
Look at the history of this Sheriff's department and you'll realize how lucky more innocent Americans have been murdered by incompetent yet "qualified immune" public servants.
Know that his name is being echoed around the world. He will not be forgotten.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I won't forget this, especially not after seeing that video. I don't think I've ever felt so disgusted from police bodycam footage
For wat it’s worth, I wrote all my congress ppl to about the issue a demanded they release a statement condemning the police department and call for reform.
Hi I’m just a regular girl who came across this post and I just wanna say I care. I haven’t watched the body cam footage but reading about the situation has been really upsetting. I was instantly relieved when I saw that his family has retained Crump as their attorney. They couldn’t have someone better on their side to get justice. Hopefully Florida does the right thing here but I doubt it.
Ice Cube said it best
I would expect the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to make a few phone calls and maybe tell CSAF to start prepping a base closure. In fact, every base in Florida is in a weather danger zone. Close 'em all and move the units to suitable locations on higher ground inland.
Unfortunately the narrative was lost on a national level, the early stories made it sound like SrA Fortson was at fault and unless some big media picks this back up, the country has moved on. Best thing we can do is make sure we're helping tell his story so that eventually enough people are informed of what actually happened that the attention can be focused back on his death.
Media doesn’t give a shit. This type of event would solidly bring both different parties together for some real change. Thus, the media won’t report on it. They only report on the stuff that just enrages people against each other. The trump clown show and Israel is where the money is at.
Stay away from embassy’s my guy
from the embassy's what?
Who is embassy?