The family of Brandon Durham, a man from Las Vegas who was shot and killed by police in his own home, is calling for the officer involved to be arrested. Durham, a 43-year-old father and realtor, made a 911 call early on November 12, saying that someone had broken into his house and was shooting.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Durham in his hallway, calling for help while struggling with a woman wearing a hoodie, trying to take a knife from her. Officer Alexander Bookman, who had been with the Las Vegas police since 2021, yelled “drop the knife” and immediately shot Durham. Body-camera footage shows the officer firing within seconds of entering the house.
Brandon Durham’s family, represented by civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, says there was no reason for police to use deadly force against him. Merritt argues that Durham was not threatening anyone and was simply trying to defend himself. Durham’s daughter, who was 15 years old, was in the house at the time.
The woman, Alejandra Boudreaux, 31, who Durham was struggling with, was arrested. She faces serious charges, including home invasion, assault, and child abuse. Police say Durham and Boudreaux had a past relationship, and Boudreaux admitted she had broken into his home the day before the shooting. She also told police that she wanted to die and hoped the officers would shoot her instead.
Merritt believes the officer acted too quickly and should have given Durham a chance to respond to the command. “The officer had a chance to make a decision but didn’t give anyone a chance to comply,” Merritt said, emphasizing that Durham wasn’t threatening anyone.
The police are still investigating, and the family has been told the investigation could take up to 90 days. Durham’s sister, Diane Wright, was devastated by the footage of the incident and the loss of her brother. She described him as a loving family man who would do anything for his loved ones.
“The response to ‘help me’ was to be murdered,” she said, expressing her shock over what happened.
