The recent decision by a Clark County grand jury not to indict Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Alexander Bookman in the fatal shooting of homeowner Brandon Durham has stirred a mix of disbelief and outrage among Durham’s family and community members. The incident, which took place on November 12, 2024, occurred after Durham called 911 to report a break-in by an intruder, identified as Alejandra Boudreaux. FOX5 was the first to report that, despite months of investigation and public outcry, the grand jury issued a "no bill", effectively declining to press formal charges against the officer involved.
According to the information obtained by FOX5, Bodycam footage showed Bookman entering Durham's home and, within 15 seconds, shooting the homeowner who was in the midst of struggling over a weapon with Boudreaux. The circumstances of the shooting have raised numerous questions, given that Officer Bookman had interacted with the homeowner less than 24 hours prior to the incident. During that previous encounter, Durham had allowed Bookman to enter his home using his thumbprint on the front door to remove the same intruder.
Cannon Lambert, an attorney for the Durham family, expressed his bafflement at the grand jury's decision in an interview with News 3, saying, "I feel like this is a case of murder and that it should be treated as such. I just don't understand how a young man who calls the police in his underwear asking for help and is shot in his head and then five times as he falls, how that's not tantamount to to murder."
Rachael Gore, Durham's registered domestic partner, shared her devastation with News 3, admitting to still trying to comprehend the grand jury's choice. "I don't know that I've completely processed it, so I think that speaks to the difficulty of processing it," said Gore. Noteworthy is that Durham's family filed a federal lawsuit back in April seeking over $1 million in damages and pushing for policy reforms and mandatory officer de-escalation training. Meanwhile, David Roger, Bookman's attorney, has stood by the officer's actions, stating that, "While Mr. Durham's death is tragic, Officer Bookman believed it was necessary to use deadly force based on the circumstances he observed. His actions are not criminal."
The Las Vegas Police Protective Association has publicly supported Officer Bookman, and Roger has scheduled a news conference to further address the decision.
