LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A grand jury has decided not to indict Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Alexander Bookman in the fatal shooting of local realtor Brandon Durham, who was killed in his own home after calling 911 for help.
The decision came Thursday, nearly nine months after the incident that sparked community outrage when body camera footage revealed Durham had called police for assistance before being shot by the responding officer.
WATCH | Brandon Durham’s loved ones react to the case’s updates
On Friday, David Roger, general counsel for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association and Bookman's attorney, defended the grand jury's decision not to press criminal charges.
"Officer Bookman didn't have time to start analyzing who was who at the time. There was plenty of time for that to have taken place if Mr. Durham had dropped the knife," Roger said.
RELATED: Alexander Bookman's attorney shares insight into his thinking the night of Brandon Durham's shooting
The knife Roger referenced was captured on Bookman's body-worn camera while Durham was struggling with an intruder later identified by police as his ex-girlfriend, Alejandra Boudreaux.
"All officer Bookman wanted to do was to stop the threat," Roger said.
For Durham's family, the decision and subsequent police union press conference only deepened their grief and frustration.
"I went to my room and cried for a good 2 hours trying to figure out how this happened. How did we get here? How did we get to no indictment?" said Rachael Gore, Brandon Durham's domestic partner.
Gore expressed shock at the grand jury's decision given the evidence presented over the past eight months.
"With all the evidence that was presented within the last eight months, the fact that he was at the home the night before. The fact he knew who Brandon was. The fact he knew that he was the homeowner, it's extremely shocking to see this," Gore said.
Following the union's press conference, District Attorney Steve Wolfson issued a statement saying he disagreed with the grand jury's decision. Wolfson believed Officer Bookman may have used excessive force when he shot Durham but respects the grand jury's decision. He also denied claims from the family's attorneys that the case was mishandled.
Read DA Wolfson's full statement here:
"It feels like this person is getting away with murder, and only because they're a cop," Gore said.
Attorneys for the family, Lee Merritt and Cannon Lambert, are now urging Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford to assign a special prosecutor and reexamine the case. They also plan to pursue federal civil rights charges and a civil lawsuit against Officer Bookman and the city of Las Vegas.
"If there's no consequences for someone's actions, then what's to say it stops?" Gore said.
