Police in Las Vegas fatally shot an innocent man in the head while responding to claims of a break-in, unknowing that he was the one who called 911.
Brandon Durham, 43, was fending off a female invader wielding a knife when a cop shot him several times.
The incident began on Tuesday, November 12, when Durham called 911 at 12.40 a.m. to report that persons were firing weapons and attempting to break into his property.
According to Las Vegas Metro Police Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren, Durham was at home with his 15-year-old daughter, Bella, at the time.
Officers arrived at the site to find automobiles with damaged windows outside.
Bodycam footage obtained by LVMPD shows officers busting down Durham’s door as cries can be heard from inside.
Officer Alexander Bookman, 26, enters the premises and turns the corner of the hallway, where he finds Durham battling for control of a knife with Alejandra Boudreaux, 31.
Police suspect Boudreaux and Durham had a previous relationship and that the break-in was not random.
Bookman instructed the pair to drop the knife before shooting Durham once.
Durham and Boudreaux both fall to the ground in the video and Bookman fires five more rounds into Durham’s body.
Koren stated that life-saving procedures were taken on Durham, but he was pronounced dead on the site.
When questioned why the officer shot the extra bullets, Koren explained that police were frequently forced to make hasty decisions based on their impressions of threats and that it “wasn’t appropriate” to speculate on specifics.
“They can’t stop time, and stop the video, and get a still and then spend minutes, let alone hours or days or months, analyzing that information to make their decision,” he stated to the press on Thursday.
“They have a matter of seconds, if not split seconds, to make very challenging decisions.”
Officer Bookman has been placed on paid administrative leave per department procedure, Koren stated.
A GoFundMe campaign created for Durham, who was described as “a loving and dedicated family man,” has raised more than $3,500. He leaves behind his wife, daughter, and stepson.
Durham’s death represents Metro Police’s 13th shooting, and the eighth fatal, in 2024.
The tragic shooting comes after a similar incident in July when a white cop fatally shot an unarmed Black woman who called 911 to report what she thought was a prowler outside her Springfield, Illinois home.
According to the victim’s family and dispatch recordings from the incident, police initially reported that Sonya Massey died as a result of her actions.
But, in reality, Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson shot and killed Massey, who reportedly had mental health difficulties, after responding to her residence.
Grayson was subsequently fired and indicted on July 17 for official misconduct, aggravated battery with a firearm, and first-degree murder. He pled not guilty.
Grayson, who has been arrested twice for DUI, has worked for six different police departments in the last four years, raising concerns about his suitability for the position.
Source: Las Vegas Cop Fatally Shoots Innocent 911 Caller Defending Against Home Intruder
