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A 43-year-old Las Vegas resident lost his life after police, responding to a 911 call he made while battling an intruder in his home, shot him fatally during the chaotic confrontation.
Brandon Durham’s family, including his 15-year-old daughter who was in another room during the incident, has made a public demand for the officer responsible for the shooting to be terminated.
The 15-year-old daughter of Mr. Durham expressed her shock and anger, calling the Las Vegas police’s treatment of her father utterly unacceptable, as they saw him as the “suspect,” not the “victim” he truly was.
Representing Alexander Bookman, the lawyer for the officer who shot Mr. Durham, emphasized that no criminal conduct had occurred on the part of his client during the altercation.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported that Officer Bookman, 26, is currently on paid administrative leave as an internal review is underway regarding the shooting incident of November 12. According to the police, Mr. Durham had made a 911 call to report that two individuals were firing shots outside and trying to enter his residence.
Officers responding to the report found cars with broken windows outside. They also noticed damage to the house and heard shouting from inside, police said, prompting Mr Bookman to kick down the front door to enter.
Body camera footage released by the police shows Mr Bookman walking through the home with his gun drawn, while screaming and banging can be heard out of view.
Turning the corner of an L-shaped hallway, the officer finds a shirtless Mr Durham wrestling over a knife with a woman wearing a ski mask, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux.
Mr Bookman yells, “hey, drop the knife, drop the knife”, seconds before firing a shot that hit Mr Durham and sent him and Ms Boudreaux to the ground.
Mr Bookman then fires five more shots at Mr Durham and says “put your hands up”, body-worn camera footage released by police showed.
Upon arrival at the scene, authorities confirmed that Mr. Durham had died, and Ms. Boudreaux was arrested, facing a total of four charges, including one for home invasion with a deadly weapon.
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“I am disgusted in how the Metropolitan Police told my father, after killing him, to stay down,” Mr Durham’s daughter told local news. “I’m disgusted that the Metropolitan Police will allow me to live fatherless for the rest of my life.”
The family’s lawyer has asked for an immediate arrest warrant for Mr Bookman. “Unlike a civil case, in which an individual’s negligence is at issue, criminal cases require proof of a person’s criminal intent,” David Roger, general counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said in a statement to CNN. “While Mr. Durham’s death is tragic, Officer Bookman was doing his job and did not intend to commit a crime.”
Local news outlets, referencing a police report, disclosed that Mr. Durham and Ms. Boudreaux had previously been romantically involved. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren further stated that although there were several claims of gunfire, law enforcement found no weapon at the scene.
Once again, police shootings were thrust into the public eye following this incident, occurring mere days before the Justice Department opened an inquiry into the death of Sonya Massey, who had been shot and killed by an officer within her Illinois home in July.
