The family of Brandon Durham, a Las Vegas man fatally shot by police in his home after calling 911 to report a break-in, is demanding the arrest of the officer involved.
Durham, a 43-year-old realtor and father, called police just after midnight on November 12, reporting intruders in his home and claiming they were shooting.
When Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived at the scene, they found Durham struggling to disarm a woman in a hoodie who was wielding a knife. Durham was calling for help as the altercation unfolded.
Officer Alexander Bookman, a 26-year law enforcement veteran who joined the Las Vegas police in 2021, shouted “drop the knife” and then immediately fired at Durham. The incident, captured on the officer’s body-worn camera, shows him shooting within seconds of issuing the command.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, representing Durham’s family, called for an arrest warrant during a press conference earlier this week.
“Brandon was found in the hallway outside his bedroom, in his underwear, crying for help while a woman was actively trying to stab him,” Merritt said. He argued there was no justification for the use of deadly force against Durham, who posed no threat to the officers.
The woman, identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux, was arrested by police. She faces charges including home invasion with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon, and child abuse or endangerment. Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren revealed in a briefing that Durham and Boudreaux had a prior relationship, describing it as “some kind of domestic” connection.
Durham’s 15-year-old daughter was in the house at the time of the attack.
Footage from Bookman’s body camera revealed a chaotic scene. The officer entered the house, followed Durham’s cries for help, and found him grappling with Boudreaux. Bookman shouted “drop the knife” but fired his weapon almost immediately, continuing to shoot as Durham collapsed.
The video suggests Bookman shot Durham less than a minute after arriving at the scene. Durham was pronounced dead on-site.
Attorney Merritt criticized the officer’s actions, stating, “The officer issued a command but didn’t allow time for compliance. The video clearly shows he was not in immediate danger.”
In her statement to police, Boudreaux admitted to breaking into Durham’s house with suicidal intentions. According to her arrest report, she confessed, “I wanted the cops to shoot me dead. I wanted [Durham] to live with the wreckage I caused in his house.”
Records obtained by local news station 8 News Now show that Durham had reported Boudreaux breaking into his home the day before the fatal shooting. Bookman was one of the officers who responded to that earlier call. Boudreaux had left the premises but returned the following night.
During a media briefing, Koren described the investigation as being in its early stages, emphasizing the complexity of the case. “The loss of life in an incident like this is always tragic, and we take it very seriously,” he said.
Merritt revealed that the district attorney informed Durham’s family the investigation could take 30 to 90 days. He assured them his office would not hesitate to prosecute the officer if warranted.
Durham’s sister, Diane Wright, shared her anguish and disbelief over her brother’s death, describing the body-camera footage as deeply traumatizing.
“Officer Alexander Bookman took the life of an innocent man who was calling for help,” she told News 3 Las Vegas. Wright also highlighted that Durham’s teenage daughter was mere feet away when the shooting occurred. “The response to help me was to be murdered,” she said.
Wright remembered her brother as a hardworking and devoted family man. “There’s nothing he wouldn’t have done for the people he loved,” she said.
