On May 3, 2024, 23-year-old United States Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson answered a knock at the door of his Florida apartment while legally holding a firearm inside his own home. Within seconds, he was shot by an Okaloosa County Sheriff's deputy responding to a reported domestic disturbance that investigators later determined was not occurring inside Roger's apartment.

In this episode of Cigar & A Crime, Dr. Dedrick "Dee" Smith takes listeners beyond the headlines and into the evidence. Through body-camera footage, official investigative findings, court records, and verified reporting, we reconstruct the final moments of Roger Fortson's life and examine the questions that continue to divide public opinion.

This episode explores:

• Roger Fortson's life, military service, and aspirations
• The dispatch call and the events leading to Deputy Eddie Duran's arrival
• A detailed, second-by-second breakdown of the body-camera footage
• Florida's Castle Doctrine and use-of-force standards
• The Sheriff's administrative investigation and its findings
• The criminal manslaughter case and pending civil lawsuit
• The tragic loss of Roger's younger brother, Andre Fortson
• Broader conversations about police accountability, constitutional rights, public trust, and race—grounded in verified evidence rather than speculation

This is not simply a story about a police shooting. It is a story about a family forever changed, a nation wrestling with difficult questions, and the responsibility to seek truth through facts.

Join Dr. Dee in the Lounge of Truth as we honor Roger Fortson's life, examine the evidence, and ask the question that remains at the heart of this case:

When two people each believe the law protects them, what happens when they meet at the same doorway?

The smoke never lies.