The family of a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy in Florida is being represented by Benjamin Crump, a prominent civil rights lawyer known as 'Black America’s attorney general.' Crump has been involved in some of the most significant cases of police brutality in recent years, including representing the families of Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and other Black individuals who died at the hands of law enforcement or vigilantes, which helped ignite the Black Lives Matter movement.
Crump's advocacy extends beyond cases of police violence. He also represented families affected by lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and the family of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were crucial in medical advancements.
His mission, as he stated in 2021, is to hold accountable those who take Black lives with impunity by making their actions costly in the court of law, aiming to increase the value of Black life.
Recently, former Okaloosa County deputy Eddie Duran was charged in the shooting death of Roger Fortson, a 23-year-old senior airman who was holding a gun pointed toward the ground when he answered his apartment door.
Crump's involvement in high-profile cases includes representing Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tyre Nichols, among others. These cases have sparked national conversations on racial justice and police accountability.
Each case had its own legal outcomes, from settlements to criminal trials. For example, George Zimmerman, who shot Trayvon Martin, was acquitted on self-defense claims, while Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed George Floyd, was convicted of murder and manslaughter.
Crump's work has led to significant settlements, such as the $27 million paid by Minneapolis to George Floyd's family, the largest pretrial civil rights settlement at the time. He continues to advocate for justice and accountability in cases of police violence against Black individuals.
