Man calls 911 for help, shot by officer while struggling with intruder
A man in Las Vegas, Nevada, called 911 for assistance but was tragically shot by a police officer while fighting an intruder inside his home.
On 12 Nov, 43-year-old Brandon Durham contacted 911 to report that two people were firing shots outside his home and attempting to break in.
When officers arrived, they found damaged cars and broken windows outside the house.
Officer Alexander Bookman, 26, kicked down the front door after noticing the damage and hearing shouting from inside.
Body camera footage from Bookman shows him entering the home with his gun drawn, following the sounds of shouting and banging in the background.
Officer fire shots, killing victim at the scene
When Bookman turned the corner of an L-shaped hallway, he encountered Mr Durham, shirtless, struggling with a woman wearing a ski mask over a knife.
The woman was later identified as 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux.
Bookman ordered the pair to drop the knife before firing a shot at Mr Durham, causing both him and Boudreaux to fall to the ground, according to BBC reports.
The officer then fired five additional shots at Mr Durham, commanding him to “put your hands up”.
Mr Durham was pronounced dead at the scene, while Boudreaux was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including home invasion with a deadly weapon.
Victim’s daughter expresses disgust over officer’s actions
Mr Durham’s 15-year-old daughter, who was hiding in a nearby room during the break-in, expressed her disgust that Las Vegas police treated her father as a suspect rather than a victim.
She reported that after her father was shot, the officer told him to “stay down”.
The family’s attorney has called for an immediate arrest warrant for Bookman and for him to be fired.
However, Bookman’s attorney argued that the officer did not commit any crime.
David Roger, general counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, also stated that Bookman was simply doing his job and did not intend to break the law, according to his statement to CNN.
Officer place on leave amid ongoing review
Reports indicate that Bookman and Boudreaux were previously in a romantic relationship.
Despite several reports of shots being fired, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren confirmed that no gun was found at the scene.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has placed Bookman on paid administrative leave while an internal review of the incident is underway.
Also read: UK police officer kicks man’s head while he’s down, suspect allegedly assaulted cops prior
UK police officer kicks man’s head while he’s down, suspect allegedly assaulted cops prior
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Featured image adapted from BBC and CNN.