#DDMS episode 28 :The Badge and the Burdens: Unpacking a Tragic Shooting, Life’s Quirky Challenges, and Farmstead Gratitude

Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seems to go awry? Well, I've had a whole week of them—complete with a dental disaster, family property management issues, and a live stream face-off that took a wild turn. Grab your headphones and settle in as I, Deputy Dane, share these personal challenges and confront the prickly subjects of entitlement, misunderstood rights, and the complex reactions my badge tends to stir up in people.

Strap yourselves in for a deep and critical analysis of a heartbreaking law enforcement incident—the shooting of a US airman. With the weight of the badge on one shoulder and a commitment to truth on the other, I'll walk you through the body cam footage that's sparked heated debates and widespread misconceptions. Together, we'll navigate the difficult terrain of self-defense and police protocols, all while honoring the profound impact such events have on the families and communities involved.

Finally, we'll switch gears to a more tranquil setting: life on the farm. Join me as I express sincere thanks for the new support around the house that's helping to keep the wheels turning smoothly. From the buzz of excitement over new chicks to battling the elements in the garden, I juggle the demands of work, creativity, and family life. Your loyalty as listeners is the wind in my sails, and it's with a full heart that I remind you all to have a safe and fantastic week ahead.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Warning, warning, warning. This content may be sensitive to some. If you feel the need to leave, it is completely understandable. Content may contain examples of death, suicide, sexual content and other shit. We don't know what we're going to get into. This is not to offend anyone or upset anyone on purpose. This isn't your typical Deputy Dane, so listen at your own risk. Sit back and enjoy.

Speaker 2: 0:44

Good morning everybody. Welcome to the Deputy Dane Morning Show. I appreciate all y'all for being here. We got some stuff to get into.

Speaker 1: 0:51

I really don't know what we're going to get into, but we'll get into something. Sit back. Oh yep, there's the sirens. I think we're all going to be detained. Sit back and enjoy the show.

Speaker 2: 1:05

Good morning everybody. Welcome to the Deputy Dane Morning Show, where we like to have a lot of fun. It's been a while, I'm sorry, had a lot going on, still dealing with my mom's thing and trying to get the property ready for her to move her house out here, so it's taking a lot of time. Kids have been sick. I've been sick Recently, had to have a tooth pulled.

Speaker 2: 1:24

That was pretty terrible. So they went in to pull the tooth and as they're pulling the tooth, um, it was rough, very rough. They uh went in, pulled the tooth. They said it's one of the hardest tooth they had to pull. Um, as they went in, the tooth broke um, it was a previous root canal that had a crown and the teeth broke the teeth, the teeth, the tooth broke and when it broke, um, it broke off into little pieces and as they kept trying to pull it out, they were having trouble because every time they would try to get it it would just break off even more. It was rough. It's like four hours of them reaching in, tearing me apart and it sucked.

Speaker 3: 2:06

What was that static for?

Speaker 2: 2:07

Hold on one second. I've got to figure out what's going on. So, as they were doing it, they reached in, did everything and he's like.

Speaker 2: 2:15

Let me explain this to you in a way that I can try to think about. Think about looking down a well and as you're looking down a well, you see a, a basketball, but the basketball is the same size diameter as the well and we're trying to get that out and every time I try to get it it breaks. So they had to go in there to drill it way down in my jaw. It really sucked. Um, now I've got some of my own self-conscious issues that I'm dealing with. Um, I've got a lot of swelling in there, so my talking's still off. I can't say appreciate or stuff with an S or sounds like an S. I know appreciate doesn't have it, but I'm saying just the shh sound. It doesn't do well for me right now. Hopefully the swelling goes down and it gets better and I don't sound like some hillbilly or something, but until then we'll see. I don't know who knows anymore, but either way it'll get better and I'll just have to deal with it and stop being so self-conscious about it and it'll happen.

Speaker 2: 3:17

Man, it was a fun live this morning. We did a live. We did a battle because I was wearing my shirt like a costume vest and a helmet. We went and people were asking me to do a battle with it on. We jumped in the battle and this dude started screaming at me that I should be working. I'm in my bedroom. It's clearly. I'm in my bedroom. Dude's screaming that I should be in my I should be working. He does a Hitler salute and all this stuff and then he starts yelling and screaming at me. He's going to find me Hitler salute and all this stuff, and then he starts yelling and screaming at me.

Speaker 4: 3:48

He's going to find me. I don't know what that was about, but come on.

Speaker 2: 3:50

I guess I got a long driveway and if you don't know you, it probably won't be a good day for you. Either way, I'd have no idea what that dude was about or any of that nonsense. Crazy, crazy guy man, you never know. You never know. I put stuff on just because it triggers some people and then some people get mad. I say trigger, like you can't say trigger. Trigger really gets me upset. Triggering is like triggering and then you just trigger and you trigger it's like okay, whatever, either way, I don't know. And then he had some followers come in and say they're going to abolish the badge. Whatever dude, whatever I mean, if you watch the Purge it's a beautiful, beautiful place without law enforcement.

Speaker 1: 4:28

I guess I don't know Either way I could make more money at Home Depot, I guess.

Speaker 2: 4:34

So go ahead, bro. It's mind-blowing the amount of ignorance there is in this whole debacle. One guy is like well, do you not support our rights? I was like, yes, I support your rights. He's like well, you said that that person's ignorant for wanting to burn a flag, just to burn a flag. I was like, well, I mean, in my opinion it is Now. Did I say I'm going to arrest him? No, did I say don't do that?

Speaker 2: 4:54

No, I just said I think it's ignorant yeah, I'm allowed to have my own opinions, but, oh well, we're growing up in an era that, like these participation trophies have really effed a whole lot of stuff up. You have all these people that just I don't know, just entitled. The entitlement is mind-blowing, you know, and like I was doing a live the other day and they immediately went to how's it feel for white privilege? I don't know what you're talking about with that. I don't have any white privilege. I guess maybe I do that. I just don't realize. Maybe I'm that ignorant, who knows. But the world has become not the world I say United States, not the world. I would say we've become so woke in the United States and we've become so woke that we've all become victims, and not everybody, but I'm saying as a whole, this new generation. They're all victims, which is making older people claim they want to be victims, which I mean you can't blame them. You got kids out here living, making more money from the government, not working, while these people are out here busting their ass and it's like, well, you can't really blame them. So I don't know, fuck you participation trophies, fuck you. Yes, rant out.

Speaker 2: 6:09

So I don't know if you've watched much in the media they're showing it hadn't been too recent, but I mean it has been recent, but not like yesterday they had, where law enforcement had killed a US airman and they're saying it happened because the cop was at the wrong address. If you watch the body cam, it depicts otherwise. So let me see if I can pick up a point. So pretty much I'll give you a back story From what I've seen and heard. Law enforcement gets called to an apartment for a domestic. That's going on. So the neighbor calls in, I think, and saying they're hearing screaming and yelling and there's been domestics there in the past and everything. So cop shows up and meets with what I would assume is apartment manager. So let's listen to this address. Okay, hold on.

Speaker 5: 6:57

I just was told to let her know if you guys come by. Okay, so I'm going to give her a quick call.

Speaker 1: 7:02

So there was a fight going on or something I so I'm going to give her a quick call and let you guys know.

Speaker 4: 7:08

So there was a fight going on or something. I was not present for that.

Speaker 2: 7:12

Okay, yes, sir. So the cops walking down the road are like parking on a river.

Speaker 4: 7:25

Are they fighting or something?

Speaker 5: 7:28

Okay, okay, which door? I'm not sure. Two weeks ago I was walking by their apartment, basically on this side, and I was hearing someone yell like shoot the f*** up, like stupid B-word and all this other stuff, and I just snapped Like right after it but I wasn't sure where it came from and I couldn't call it. I didn't want to call the police, which room, is it? 1401. 1401.

Speaker 2: 8:00

1401. Okay, so he gets called Goes 1401. Okay.

Speaker 3: 8:04

So he gets called, goes to 1401. But the girl sounded scared, the one that called.

Speaker 2: 8:08

So let's listen. He walks up to the door and you can clearly see next to the door 1401. Let me double check. Hold on, Okay. So I paused it and what do you know? It says 1401.

Speaker 1: 8:22

So let's hear what happens and let's see if I can get it on here. I don't know if it'll pick up on here. Good enough, but we'll hear.

Speaker 2: 8:29

So the cop's listening. This is normally what we'll do We'll go up and we'll listen and see if we can hear anything personally. So he's not really hearing anything right now, but hold on. So he knocks, but hold on, something about I don't know, fucking police. The cop doesn't say anything yet but automatically the suspect thinks it's the police. Is what he says I don't know, blah, blah, blah police. I don't know if you heard it, but that's what he said.

Speaker 4: 9:27

Sheriff's office open the door.

Speaker 2: 9:29

One announcement.

Speaker 4: 9:36

Sheriff's office open the door.

Speaker 2: 9:37

Second announcement.

Speaker 4: 9:41

Step out. So Drop the gun. Drop the gun, it's over there, drop the gun.

Speaker 2: 9:49

I don't the gun. Okay so. But you don't see, because obviously this is a uh podcast is. He knocks, doesn't say anything, goes to the other side, a little safer spot. You hear the guy talking to somebody what I assume he's on the phone. He says blah, blah, blah something, police, blah, blah, blah. So then the sheriff knocks again, yells sheriff's office. No answer. Knocks again, yells sheriff's office. Then the guy opens the door and the deputy tells him to step out. At this point you can see a gun in his right hand. The cop immediately lifts up and shoots. Now does that suck? Yes, because from originally what I was being told was they're at the wrong address. Well, we heard the property manager say 1401. In the video you see him go to 1401. Wrong address, I don't know, but in that opinion, right.

Speaker 2: 10:53

Then cops went to the address. They were told that there's a domestic or a domestic had just gone on. We have to make contact. We have to. What if someone got killed in there by their husband? So we're going to make contact. Okay, so goes the address, he was told.

Speaker 2: 11:11

Then another one of the things was said that he never announced himself. So the guy came to the door with a gun because a cop never announced himself. Now he yelled sheriff's office. Now, the first time he knocked he did not. But then he knocks again and yells sheriff's office. Then you hear well, before he yelled sheriff's office, the guy knew it was the police. Automatically. He said that something, something, police, something, something. Then the sheriff announces or deputy, whatever. So then he announces again sheriff's office.

Speaker 2: 11:38

Guys, I know that times are crazy and you never know who's coming to your door. Look out your peephole if you're that worried, but don't come to the door with a gun if you know there's a cop there. Am I saying you have the right to defend yourself. Yes, if you have the gun holstered, it's one other thing, but if you have the gun in your hand, that you can't really blame the cop. You don't know. The cop doesn't know what's going on. I don't know. I mean, do I know that? All the circumstances? No, but I will tell you what I do know. I do know that the lie that he was at the wrong address. He got that address from the apartment manager that's standing outside, right outside the building. So he goes to said address. So we can deem the wrong address, unless a property manager got the address wrong, which could happen. But the cop went to where he's told right address, okay. Second, off he ends up.

Speaker 2: 12:30

They also said he did not announce who he is. In my opinion, he announced twice. Could he announce the first time? Sure he sure could have. Do I put hate on him and say he didn't? No, do I think he was wrong? No, do I think he was right? No, on that aspect.

Speaker 2: 12:46

The second knock sheriff's office. Third knock sheriff's office. Third knock sheriff's office. Now he could have come to the people and looked and said I don't believe that's who you are, or something like that, and the cop could have talked to him. I don't know, but coming to the door when someone announced sheriff's office, and then you holding a gun, it, I don't know, I don't know, but if the cop doesn't react, the cop could have been shot too. So I mean it's kind of a deal, I don't know. I don't know, but if the cop doesn't react, the cop could have been shot too. So I mean it's kind of a deal, I don't know. I don't know the whole thing, but I do know that it's false, that he's at the wrong address, because that's the address he's told Now if he was given the wrong address. It could be because he was given the wrong address by the RP, which is a reporting party.

Speaker 2: 13:27

I don't know if you can replay this again. He announced twice here. I'll replay again. Hold on one second. We'll replay it to this point, right? Hold on Too far. Okay, now listen. Something, something, police, something, something.

Speaker 4: 14:06

Still talking on the phone. Sheriff's office open the door One. Announcement still talking on the phone sheriff's office open the door one announcement sheriff's office open the door.

Speaker 2: 14:22

Second announcement opens the door fire on the right hand. Get shot. Now do I know if the guy's lifting? No, you can't really tell, I can't tell. But if you gave the guy enough time to, no, you can't really tell, I can't tell. But if you gave the guy enough time to lift, then you're not going to. I mean, it's just a bad situation. The whole thing sucks. That cop is going to live with having to kill somebody, yet alone a service member, and then you have a family that's now without a loved one.

Speaker 2: 14:45

This gentleman lost his life, even though he might not have been doing anything wrong. I don't know, but I will tell you that people jump on these things and say, oh, wrong address, oh didn't announce. Oh, this Everything the cop did, he was at the right address, he did announce. But could things have been handled differently? Sure, I don't, but who knows what could have happened? What if he didn't do anything and the guy shot the cop? You never know. Either way, we're able to prove two of them, that those are lies. He was at the address, he was told and he did announce. Now the family they're very distraught, which I understand. The family's going to be distraught. You know it's a sad deal. They lost a loved one.

Speaker 3: 15:19

So we'll play a little bit of a news article. A black US airman in his home. The video shows officers arriving at the scene of a reported disturbance call at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach. The family's lawyer claimed that he was home alone at the time and that the responding deputies burst into the wrong apartment and shot the senior airman when they saw him with a gun.

Speaker 2: 15:41

Okay. So first of all, I know you can't see from the video. I ask that you go listen to or go to like police activity and watch the body cam of it on YouTube so he never once burst into the home. There was no kicking of the door, there was no nothing. We know he went to the address, he was told and we also know, if you watch the video, he did not just burst in the door, he knocked on the door. Even when the guy came to the door he didn't enter the home right off the bat. I don't know if he did after. I can't really tell in the video he might have. I mean he probably did after to render aid, but the guy came to the door and he's standing outside of the door on the balcony. So we know we got media again going the wrong direction. So let's see what else it says.

Speaker 3: 16:24

The allegations are incorrect.

Speaker 5: 16:26

What we do know at this time is that the deputy did announce himself not once but twice. Mr Fortson's comments indicate that he did acknowledge it was law enforcement at the door and he arrived at the door with a firearm in his hand. The deputy knocked on the correct door. He did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscure its view in any way.

Speaker 3: 16:48

He did not cover the peephole or otherwise obscure its view in any way. Now the family says Fordson was legally entitled to have that gun in his home. The deputy is now on administrative leave and a criminal investigation into the incident has been launched.

Speaker 2: 17:01

So that's going to happen. Anytime there's an officer involved shooting, they are going to investigate and you're going to be put on leave. Sad deal Again. It sucks. Somebody lost their life. It does 100%, especially a service member that is fighting for our country. It sucks. But of course the airman was black, so that's where they're jumping. You know that's sales. That's what sells on the media. Do I wish that this would have happened? 100%, I do. It's a sad deal that cop's going to live with the rest of his life and that poor family is going to be hurting for the rest of their life. Either way, it's a very, very sad deal and it sucks that this gentleman lost his life.

Speaker 2: 17:43

I'm not saying the officer's right. I'm not saying the officer's wrong. I'm saying it's just hard to jump on the coattails just because one group is pushing one way or one group is pushing the other way. I can just tell you that two lies were made. He didn't go to the right address. That's a lie. He never announced. That's a lie.

Speaker 2: 18:02

There's a lot of people talking about how he didn't stand in front of the people. I never stand in front of the people ever. I knock on the door and I get to the side. If they have questions, they can ask me through the door and I'll explain who I am and then, if I need to, I'll jump in front of people real quick. But I'm not hanging out in front of people. That's a death sentence at some houses. There's been several officers that were shot off the porch standing on the front because they stood right in front of the door. I don't stand in front of the door, sorry.

Speaker 2: 18:34

Some people say scared police. I mean, if you go to some of these calls, I doubt you would stand in front of the door, I doubt you would even knock on the door. So it happens. It's a sad deal. This gentleman lost his life. No-transcript said not guilty or guilty. Either way, he's screwed. He has to live a life that he took alive and yet alone. A service member's life, and it sucks In their poor family. I pray for their family. That's awful. No one should have to go through that. That's a bad deal, all around bad deal. But yeah, that's sad times we're in. But everybody jumps straight to.

Speaker 2: 19:12

The cop was in the wrong. I don't know. This is another case of watch everything. You can Take your own opinion, but take your opinion by actually looking at it, not just what the media is saying. Watch the video and if you still think the officer's in the wrong, that's cool, that's your opinion. You're allowed to have that.

Speaker 2: 19:31

I don't know, I don't know enough. I wasn't there. I haven't had previous calls that address. Maybe they have, maybe they know stuff. I don't know. I don't know Now, did previous calls give you a justification to just shoot somebody? No, but if you've had previous calls and then all of a sudden stuff like this happens, I don't know. Either way, it's a sad deal. That gentleman lost his life and he served our country and I appreciate his service to our country. No matter what, it's a sad deal, very, very sad.

Speaker 2: 19:58

So this is not going to be a long podcast. I've got a lot of stuff I've got to get done. It took us too long on TikTok Live having a good time with everybody, so I wanted to get something in. I've been asked a lot about when we're going to get this going and I've been trying to. It's just been so much going on.

Speaker 2: 20:13

Springtime is a hard time around here because we're trying to get everything on the farm ready and then help my mom get moved here. It's just been a lot. We have a lot to clean out 35 years of her living in her house that we have to clean out and get her ready to move. Then we got to get the land ready, so I met with the contractor to get it all leveled, to bring the trailer out and get it put on. It's just been a lot. I can't wait till she gets here. It'll free up some time.

Speaker 2: 20:44

She stated something that's pretty sad that she just doesn't have a meaning in life. So with her being here, she wants to be in the kids' lives, she wants to watch them, she wants to help us out. But she's going to help awesome. I can be like hey, can you watch them for two hours while I do a podcast, or can you do this and she will? Um, I'm looking forward to that, selfishly, to be honest. But either way, big things are happening. We have some baby chicks about to hatch. Um, our chickens are doing good, pigs doing good.

Speaker 2: 21:10

Our garden man I've I've got to get at the garden tilled, but I can't because we've had so much rain. We've had a washout. I'm struggling just mowing right now, but a lot going on. I need to get some stuff done before the babies get home from church. Guys, I promise I'll start to get to these a little bit more. It's just been so chaotic I haven't had a chance. So much love to everybody. Thank you for your patience with me. I'll continue to do my best, I promise, and we'll get more of these out. Some more stuff going on.

Speaker 2: 21:42

I plan on really buckling down once I got my mom here, because then I can actually have this as a part-time job. I can be like hey, can you watch them for a few hours? I can knock videos out, I can knock podcasts out and I can knock things out and actually have a break. But right now my wife and I both work full time. We work chaotic, hectic jobs, so we try to spend as much time with our babies as we can, and just being able to have a two-hour break here or there would be nice without them screaming in the background. So big things will happen once we get here. Much love to everybody. I cannot thank you enough for all the support. Everybody, let's make this week a great week and please, everybody, stay safe.