A Las Vegas police officer who fatally shot a homeowner after the man called 911 to report a burglary has left the department voluntarily, according to an attorney for the police union.
Metropolitan Police Department officer Alexander Bookman fatally shot 43-year-old Brandon Durham on Nov. 12, 2024, after Durham reported that two people were shooting at his home.
Although Bookman was cleared of criminal wrongdoing, the shooting had a lasting impact on him, according to David Roger, counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, the union that represented Bookman.
“It’s unnerving when people are in the streets calling for your arrest,” Roger said. “He’s a young guy, and he just felt like policing just wasn’t for him after all of this.”
A Metro spokesperson confirmed that Bookman was no longer with the department but did not share the reasons behind his resignation.
Roger said that he had spent a lot of time with Bookman as they prepared for a possible indictment.
Even after prosecutors declined to charge him and he was cleared to return to Metro, Roger said, the stress of the case lingered for the officer, whom he described as quiet and reserved.
Bookman, now 28, submitted his resignation on March 16 and left the department nine days later, Roger said.
Roger declined to discuss specifics, citing attorney-client privilege, but spoke generally about the impact of police shootings on officers.
“Cops aren’t robots; they are human beings,” Roger said. “I am always concerned about the impact a shooting has on an officer moving forward. Will they hesitate the next time, and will it lead to them or a citizen losing their lives?”
Shooting prompted protests
Bookman’s resignation came a year and a half after the fatal shooting prompted protests by Durham’s family and community leaders.
According to police, Durham was in a domestic relationship with the alleged intruder, 31-year-old Alejandra Boudreaux. Body camera footage shows that when officers arrived, the pair struggled over a knife in the doorway of a bedroom.
Durham was wearing only boxer shorts, while Boudreaux was wearing a red hoodie.
Body camera footage shows Bookman ordering the person holding the knife to drop it twice before firing less than two seconds later. He continued firing as Durham and Boudreaux fell to the ground.
Roger has said that Bookman believed Durham had control of the knife and fired to protect Boudreaux.
The attorney said Bookman believed he had “done the right thing” but was sorry that he had to take a life.
Neither the Durham family nor their attorneys could be immediately reached for comment.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.
