A Nevada father who called 911 for help during a home invasion was later shot and killed by the cops who responded to his house.
Brandon Durham, 43, called the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at around 12.40am on Tuesday to report that two people were shooting outside of his home and were trying to break-into his home, police have said.
He told the operator he was going to lock himself in the bathroom, and noted that he was inside the home with his 15-year-old daughter.
When cops then arrived on the scene in Henderson, officers could be seen kicking open Durhams front door and walking inside in body camera footage released on Thursday.
One police officer, who has been identified as Alexander Bookman, 26, could then be seen rushing in with his firearm drawn as he makes his way down a narrow hallway, from where screaming and banging sounds are emanating.
He eventually comes in contact with a man in his underwear who is holding another individual in a red hooded sweatshirt and black jacket up against a doorframe, as the two struggled with a knife.
Hey, drop the knife, Bookman could be heard yelling. Drop the knife.
Just about two seconds later, he fired his weapon - shooting Durham in his head, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Brandon Durham, 43, was shot and killed by Las Vegas police after he called the department for help in a home invasion on Tuesday morning
Body camera footage showed Durham in his underwear, holding Alejandra Boudreaux, 31, against a doorframe, as the two struggled with a knife
Both Durham and the person in the red sweatshirt, who has since been identified as the home invader - Alejandra Boudreaux, 31 - immediately fell to the ground.
Still, the body camera footage shows, Bookman advanced forward and fired his gun five more times - even as Durham stopped moving.
Police have since said there were only about three seconds from the time Bookman fired his first shot to his last, NBC News reports.
But officers soon learned that Durham was the homeowner, and he was calling to report that Boudreaux had broken into his house.
At that point, cops tried to provide Durham with medical treatment, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, officers took Boudreaux into custody and charged her with home invasion with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon; domestic violence; willful or wanton disregard of safety of persons resulting in death; and child abuse, neglect or endangerment.
A criminal complaint obtained by KSNV suggests Boudreaux broke into Durhams home with a weapon with the intention of provoking police to kill her in what is sometimes referred to as suicide by cop.
She was apparently caught on surveillance footage outside the home for about 10 minutes before the alleged home invasion.
That footage also captured the sound of glass breaking several times, and the criminal complaint accused Boudreaux of attempting to stab and/or threaten Durham with a knife.
Durhams family has also said they do not believe he was the one holding the knife, and was instead trying to fend off Boudreaux when he was shot.
Durhams family say the shooting never should have occurred, as he was the victim of the home invasion
A criminal complaint accused Boudreaux of attempting to stab and/or threaten Durham with a knife
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is now conducting an internal investigation into the shooting, and the Clark County District Attorneys Office will ultimately determine whether criminal charges will be filed against Officer Bookman.
For now, Bookman, who has been with the department since 2021, is on paid administrative leave.
The loss of life in any type of incident like this is always tragic, and its something we take very seriously, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said at a news conference Tuesday.
Our officers, unfortunately, have a very challenging job that during these types of incidents, they dont have the ability to stop time and stop a video and get a still and then spend minutes, let alone hours or days or months, analyzing that information to make their decision.
But Durhams friends and family argue that Bookman did not even give him a chance to explain what was happening before he fired his weapon.
The officer was not threatened. He just didnt take the time to de-escalate the situation, which he should have, and my friend would be here, Branden Cinquegrani told KTNV.
His 15-year-old daughter just lost her father, pretty much in front of her. And you know its hard, its very disheartening.
Durhams daughter, Isabella, also said at a news conference that her father was the absolute victim, no matter what could have happened.
The violence that occurred here was under someone who was extremely, extremely angry and extremely violent, she claimed, adding that the police officers actions have made it so that she will live fatherless for the rest of my life.
Rachael Gore, Durhams domestic partner who sometimes refers to herself as his wife, also said he did not deserve what had happened.
You call somebody for help. You dont get help, you get killed, she said. Never in a million years did I think that would happen to him. He was a good man.
The one who calls police and says "help me" should never be the one shot, she said, before claiming that the funeral home told her she could not view Durhams body because it was too disfigured, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
We dont get to say goodbye, she lamented.
Durham was a major sports fan, whose friends have described him as a beautiful soul who was a little goofy
Friends have described Durham, a real estate agent and home warranty salesman, as a beautiful soul who was a little goofy.
He lit up a room. He had a huge personality. Everybody who met him loved him, Cinquegrani said.
Steve Cowan, another friend, said he was goofy.
"Goofy" would be the word I use, loud and goofy - he danced his dance. Thats his thing, Cowan said.
Both friends also said Durham was a major sports fan.
They are now focusing their efforts on helping Isabella, as well as Gore and her son, in the aftermath of Durhams death - setting up an online fundraiser for them.
His daughter doesnt have her sole provider anymore, Cinquegrani said.
And shes probably not going to be able to live where she grew up, he said, as Isabella told how she heard the gunshots.
The GoFundMe had raised over $9,800 as of Sunday night.