A 43-year-old man, Brandon Durham, was fatally shot by police in Las Vegas after calling 911 to report an intruder in his home. His 15-year-old daughter, who was hiding nearby, and other family members are demanding the officer involved be fired.
The daughter expressed her outrage, stating that the police treated her father as a suspect rather than a victim, according to the BBC.
A lawyer for Alexander Bookman, the officer who shot Durham, stated that Bookman committed no crimes.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has placed the 26-year-old officer on paid administrative leave pending an internal review of the November 12 incident.
According to police, Durham had called 911 to report two individuals shooting outside and attempting to break into his home.
Responding officers found cars with broken windows and damage to the house, along with shouting from inside, leading Officer Bookman to kick down the front door.
Body camera footage released by police shows Bookman walking through the home with his gun drawn as screaming and banging are heard off-camera.
In an L-shaped hallway, Officer Bookman finds a shirtless Durham wrestling over a knife with a woman in a ski mask, later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux.
Bookman yells, “hey, drop the knife, drop the knife”, seconds before firing a shot that hits Durham and sends him and Boudreaux to the ground.
Officer Bookman fires five additional shots at Durham and commands him to “put your hands up,” as body-worn camera footage shows.
Durham was pronounced dead at the scene. Boudreaux was arrested and charged with four counts, including home invasion with a deadly weapon.
“I am disgusted in how the Metropolitan Police told my father, after killing him, to stay down,” 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 called for an immediate arrest warrant for Officer 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 reported that Durham and Boudreaux were previously in a romantic relationship, citing a police report.
Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren stated that no gun was found at the scene despite reports of shots fired.
The incident has renewed scrutiny on police shootings, occurring just days before the Justice Department began investigating the July shooting death of Sonya Massey by an officer in her Illinois home.
