A 43-year-old dad called 911 about shots fired at his home. Then a Las Vegas police officer shot and killed him

Generate Key Takeaways

A 43-year-old father was shot and killed in his home by a Las Vegas police officer last week, authorities said, after he called 911 for help.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police received multiple calls in the early morning hours of November 12 about a shooting on Wine River Drive. Brandon Durham, who was home with his 15-year-old daughter, told 911 that people were shooting at his house and had broken in, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at a news conference last week.

When Officer Alexander Bookman and two others responded, they saw damaged cars and windows and heard screaming and banging from inside Durham’s home. Bookman kicked in Durham’s front door and, once inside, found Durham and Alejandra Boudreaux, 31, wrestling over a knife in a bedroom doorway, according to Koren.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Boudreaux, who was in a relationship with Durham, had broken into the home and she and Durham were in a heated confrontation, according to an arrest report.

Bookman shouted, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” and fired one shot, hitting Durham and sending him and Boudreaux to the ground. Durham, on the floor, was then shot by Bookman five more times, body-worn camera footage released by police showed.

Durham was pronounced dead at the scene. His death marks the department’s eighth fatal officer-involved shooting in 2024, Koren said.

Incidents of people calling 911 for help and being shot by police have drawn scrutiny across the country, including New York, Mississippi, Minnesota, Colorado, California and more, CNN previously reported.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“An arrest warrant should be issued immediately for the arrest of officer Alexander Bookman,” Lee Merritt, an attorney for Durham’s family, said at a Monday news conference, reported by CNN affiliate KNTV.

CNN has reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for more information about any prior incidents at Durham’s home.

In a statement, Steven Wolfson, Clark County District Attorney, said the investigation is “still in its infancy.”

“It will take weeks, if not months, for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to complete its investigation; therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to express an opinion regarding whether criminal charges are going to be filed. I simply do not have all the information yet.”

Advertisement
Advertisement

CNN has been unable to determine if Bookman has legal representation.

The arrest report obtained by CNN sheds more light on events leading to Durham’s death. Boudreaux broke into Durham’s home the day of the shooting after she decided “she was going to die,” according to the report, first obtained by CNN affiliate KVVU.

Boudreaux, whose relationship with Durham was casual and sexual, said that she had been suicidal for a few days, the report states.

“I wanted the cops to shoot me dead. And I wanted him (Durham) to live the wreckage that I caused in his house,” she told police in an interview after the incident.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Boudreaux used rocks to break into the house, took a knife from the kitchen and entered his bedroom during the heated confrontation, the report noted.

Boudreaux told police she initially had two knives, but that Durham had ahold of one as police arrived, according to the report. She later told police that she had intended for police to shoot her and not Durham, according to the report.

“I feel like I’m responsible for what (led) up to everything,” Boudreaux told police.

Boudreaux faces multiple charges including assault with a deadly weapon, home invasion with a deadly weapon, domestic violence and child abuse, police said. CNN is working to identify whether Boudreaux has legal representation.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Durham’s shooting remains under investigation by the police department’s critical incident review team. Bookman is on administrative leave pending the results of the internal investigation, CNN affiliate KTNV reported.

CNN’s Karina Tsui and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com

• About Our Ads