Police fatally shot a Las Vegas father in his own home last week after he made a 911 call about a break-in.
Shortly after midnight, several 911 calls reported a shooting, according to the Las Vegas Metro Police Department. Brandon Durham, the homeowner at the location of the shooting, made one of those calls.
Police Shoot
Police arrived on the scene and found Durham locked in a fight. The 43-year-old homeowner grappled with a woman holding a knife.
Officer Alexander Bookman entered the home, and saw the fight, yelling, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!”
Within seconds of entering the home, Bookman fired his gun. CNN reports that the first bullet hit Durham. Bookman fired five more times, each time hitting Durham, not the attacker.
The police took the suspect, Alejandra Boudreaux, into custody. Durham on the other hand, died on the scene from the gunshot wounds.
Police Perspective
Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the LVMPD released a press statement after the shooting. In his 911 call, Durham stated that several people were trying to break in and were shooting.
Durham told police he and his 15-year-old daughter Isabella were home. They planned to lock themselves in the bathroom until help came.
When officers arrived, they “observed damage to the house and could hear screaming coming from inside the residence,” according to Koren. “Based on the circumstances, Officer Bookman kicked in the front door.”
Family Perspective
According to USAToday, Bookman is on administrative leave. Durham’s family feels that the officer deserves consequences.
“I am disgusted in how the Metropolitan Police told my father, after killing him, to stay down,” Isabella told KSNV.
“Knowing, treating him like he was the suspect in the situation, he was the victim, and I’m disgusted that the Metropolitan Police will allow me to live fatherless for the rest of my life,” she added.
Consequences
The Durham family lawyer demands an arrest warrant against Bookman. David Roger, an attorney in connection with the LVMPD counters that demand.
“Criminal cases require proof of a person’s criminal intent,” Roger told CNN, “While Mr. Durham’s death is tragic, Officer Bookman was doing his job and did not intend to commit a crime.”
The Original Attacker
Boudreaux on the other hand, had very clear intentions. She told police she entered the home in a suicidal state, wanting to be shot by police.
The 31-year-old woman met Durham previously through their real estate work. The two developed an intimate relationship, according to Fox5.
Eventually, Boudreaux called Durham out on his other relationships and he told her to leave his home. After several moments of bad luck, the woman decided to return to the home and that’s when things escalated.
READ MORE: Homeowner’s Son Shoots Armed Intruder
She admitted to breaking windows and entering the home armed with two knives. Police charged her with four counts, including domestic violence and child endangerment.
Boudreaux wanted to be shot that day and told police they shot the wrong person. “I feel responsible,” she said.
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