NBCI Calls for the Dept. of Justice to Investigate If Airman Roger Fortson's Civil Rights Were Violated
NBCI President, Rev. Anthony Evans
We want the US Department of Justice to review the findings of the state investigation to determine if Mr. Roger Fortson civil rights were violated in any way and whether his death was a hate crime.”
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches which constitute 27.7 million churchgoers want to know if US Airman Roger's civil rights were violated by being shot and killed for lawful possession of a gun to protest his person.— Rev. Anthony Evans, President of the National Black Church Initiative
According to reports, Fortson was at his home when law enforcement arrived in response to a call about a disturbance. When he answered the door, he was immediately shot by an officer, despite not posing any threat or resistance. The tragic incident has left many wondering if Fortson's race played a role in the use of deadly force and if his death should be considered a hate crime.
Reverend Anthony Evans, President of the National Black Church Initiative, states “We want the Okaloosa County Deputy charged with murder. This is a moral outrage for an incident to happen like this to a young man who is serving his country. The Black church wants to know if is safe for any black man to do anything in this country nonetheless open your own door. We want the US Department to review the findings of the state investigation in light of the facts and to determine if Mr. Roger Fortson civil rights were violated in any way and whether this is considered a hate crime.
Roger Fortson, a U.S. airman who was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy earlier this month, will be laid to rest on Friday in Atlanta But, for the family of the 23-year-old slain senior airman, who was Black, many questions surrounding his death remain unanswered. In an interview by the media, Fortson's mother, Chantimekki Fortson and an attorney for the family, Brian Barr, questioned the deputy's training and demanded more transparency around the case.
"He served his family, he served the country, served his friends," Barr said. "And it's just such a tragedy, from all angles that — living this life of service doing what he was told to do — he was killed because he opened the door," Barr says.
ABOUT NBCI
The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino churches working to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, and the environment. The mission of NBCI is to provide critical wellness information to all of its members, congregants, churches, and the public. NBCI utilizing faith and sound health science and partners with major organizations and officials reduce racial disparities in the variety of areas cited above. NBCI's programs are governed by credible statistical analysis, science-based strategies and techniques, and methods that work and offer faith-based, out-of-the-box, and cutting-edge solutions to stubborn economic and social issues.
Anthony Evans
National Black Church Initiative
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