Federal lawsuit filed over killing of Brandon Durham by Las Vegas officer

The family of a man killed by a Las Vegas police officer filed a federal lawsuit on Monday.

Metropolitan Police Department officer Alexander Bookman fatally shot Brandon Durham, 43, on Nov. 12 after Durham called police to report a burglary.

The Clark County district attorney’s office is expected to seek an indictment of Bookman, according to an attorney for the officer.

Monday’s lawsuit was filed by Rachael Gore, Durham’s partner, and Isabella Durham, his daughter, against Metro and Bookman.

It makes eight claims for relief, including multiple accusations relating to civil rights violations and a wrongful death claim. It asks for a jury trial with an award exceeding $1 million.

David Roger, counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union representing Bookman, said he did not represent Bookman in a civil lawsuit such as this one and that it would go through Metro.

Metro did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday evening.

Fatal shooting

Durham called the police to report a break-in to his home in November. Body camera footage also shows that Bookman had responded to Durham’s house the prior day for a call reporting an intruder, later identified as Alejandra Boudreaux, 31, and had told her to leave the home.

Durham also told dispatchers that the intruder was wearing red. When police arrived, body camera footage showed, Durham was in his underwear, and Boudreaux was wearing a red hoodie.

The two were struggling over a knife. Bookman gave two commands to drop the knife, and less than two seconds later, fired shots at Durham, according to the footage. In the footage, Bookman fired his gun and continued shooting at Durham as he and Boudreaux fell.

“Defendant Bookman never provided the intruder or Brandon Durham an occasion to comply with his command to ‘drop the knife,’” the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleges that when Bookman first saw Durham, the knife was pinned stationary up against the hallway wall.

“At no time throughout the ordeal giving rise to this litigation were the lives of any law enforcement officer present, ever under any threat,” the lawsuit said.

According to the lawsuit, Bookman told the dispatcher that he was going to Durham’s house before he arrived. It also said that Durham had let Bookman into the house using his thumbprint the day prior.

“Defendant Bookman knew or should have known that Brandon Durham was lawfully in his home, and was not the assailant that Bookman was summoned to apprehend,” the complaint said.

Boudreaux was indicted in December on charges of home invasion with a deadly weapon, assault with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, child abuse or endangerment and fourth-degree arson.

Calls for justice

Durham’s death sparked outrage from the community, including a protest of roughly 100 people in November.

Gore and Durham also spoke at Durham’s funeral in December.

“I don’t know how you are not angry at something like this,” Gore said. “But instead of leading with anger, I choose to lead with love today.”

Gore and several other speakers also noted the special relationship between Durham and his 15-year-old daughter, Bella Durham, who some called a female version of him.

“I was always a daddy’s girl,” Durham said, adding that “dada” was her first word.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefutterman.bsky.social.